/s>^' 


NOV  2  1916  ^ 


BS  2505  TL53  1916  , 

Ligon,  John  Washington,  ISbS 

Paul  the  apostle 


Paul  the  Apostle 


Paul  the  Apostle 


PIONEER  MISSIONARY  TO 
THE   HEATHEN  WORLD 


(       NOV    ?   191j 


By  " 

JOHN  W,  LIGON 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.   Revell    Company 
London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London :  2 1  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      100    Princes    Street 


To 

J.    W,  Hardy 

who  taught  7ne  the  way  of  life^  and 
who  encouraged  me  to  become  a 
minister  of  Christ,  this  book  is  dedi- 
cated with  a  feeling  m,ore  akin  to 
filial  than  fraternal  regard    ::     ;: 


Introduction 

FEW  authors  would  attempt  to  add  another 
volume  to  the  vast  wealth  of  Pauline  liter- 
ature already  easily  accessible  to  the  reading 
public.  From  both  the  critical  and  the  practical 
point  of  view,  the  subject  has  been  treated  by  scholars 
learned  and  pious. 

Perhaps  no  character  in  history,  save  that  of  the 
Nazarene  carpenter,  lends  itself  so  satisfactorily  to 
the  purpose  of  the  biographer  as  that  of  the  Apostle 
Paul.  Consequently  the  polemic  and  the  irenic,  the 
Protestant  and  the  Catholic, — men  of  every  shade  of 
Christian  faith — have  undertaken  to  bring  out  in 
strong  relief  the  titanic  and  varied  qualities  of  this 
majestic  hero. 

The  author  of  this  volume,  however,  seeks  to  pre- 
sent the  subject  more  fully  than  is  done  by  the  briefer 
biographers,  yet  more  succinctly  than  Farrar  and  the 
rest  of  the  voluminous  writers.  With  the  purpose 
of  supplying  the  manifest  need  of  such  a  treatise,  the 
writer  has  given  us  this  book.  He  has  rendered  very 
attractive  his  accurate  and  trustworthy  narrative  by 
invoking  the  power  of  a  vivid  imagination,  a  deep 
and  warm  feeling,  a  pronounced  human  interest,  and 
a  lucid  style. 

Sunday-school  students  and  teachers,  Christian 
Endeavour  societies,  and  missionary  bands,  as  well  as 

7 


8  Introduction 

the  larger  group  of  readers  of  religious  literature, 
will  fiud  this  book  both  helpful  and  fascinating. 

It  should  serve  as  a  large  and  valuable  factor  in 
bringing  Christian  people  into  closer  fellowship  with 
the  greatest  interpreter  of  Christianity  the  world  has 
known. 

B.  H.  Ceossfield,  Ph.  D. 

Transylvania  College, 
Lexington,  Ky. 


Preface 

THIS  volume  is  piiblislied  in  the  interest  of 
the  religion  of  Christ.  I  am  fully  aware 
that  there  are  many  excellent  books  already 
before  the  public,  treating  of  the  life  and  labours  of 
the  Apostle  Paul,  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  a 
place  and  a  demand  for  another.  In  the  course  of 
my  life  as  a  minister  of  Christ  I  have  been  called 
upon  frequently  to  recommend  a  book  on  Paul — 
something  that  a  busy  man  would  find  time  to  read, 
and  which  briefly  treated  all  the  known  facts  in  the 
apostle's  life.  Although  somewhat  familiar  with  the 
works  of  a  number  of  authors,  I  was  not  acquainted 
with  such  a  treatise.  The  larger  works,  so  helpful 
to  the  preacher  and  the  scholar,  are  not  adapted  to 
the  young  people  of  our  Sunday-schools  or  the  busy 
men  and  women  who  constitute  the  largest  element 
of  our  churches. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  briefer  works  are  too  brief. 
In  them  the  career  of  the  apostle  is  merely  outlined. 
They  are  intended  for  class  use,  and  the  instructor  is 
supposed  to  fill  the  outline.  This  volume  is  a  con- 
tinuous narrative.  Its  brevity  is  such  that  all  who  are 
interested  can  find  time  to  read  it,  and  it  is  intended 
to  be  sufficiently  comprehensive  to  furnish  a  living 
picture  of  the  apostle's  life  so  far  as  that  life  can  be 
known. 
Every  one  must  know  that  any  one  in  writing  such 
9 


20  Preface 

a  volume  as  this  is  of  necessity  more  or  less  familiar 
with  the  writings  of  others  who  have  written  on  the 
same  subject.  Where  I  have  knowingly  used  the 
exact  words  of  others  I  have  given  proper  credit ; 
but  I  am  conscious  of  the  probability  that  one  who 
has  a  somewhat  extended  acquaintance  with  the 
writings  of  others  may  unconsciously  adapt  the 
language  of  others.  This  I  have  tried  to  avoid. 
Should  the  reader  find  that  I  have  used  the  words  of 
others  without  giving  due  acknowledgment,  let  it  be 
remembered  that  I  have  been  very  careful  in  my 
endeavours  to  avoid  so  doing. 

In  preparing  the  manuscript  of  this  volume  I  have 
made  use  of  every  help  available  to  me.  Aside  from 
the  Book  of  Acts  and  Paul's  Epistles,  I  have  used  a 
number  of  Lives  of  Paul  and  Commentaries  on  Acts. 
I  have  kept  a  map  of  Paul's  travels  ever  before  me. 

This  book  is  intended  to  be  practical  rather  than 
critical.  I  am  fally  conscious  that  it  is  far  from  per- 
fect from  the  view-point  of  the  scholar  and  critic. 
It  is  hoped,  however,  that  those  who  are  familiar 
with  the  more  voluminous  works  on  Paul  may  find 
this  volume  useful  as  a  means  of  briefly  reviewing 
the  subject.  May  this  book,  the  preparation  of 
which  has  been  a  labour  of  love,  ,be  the  means  of  ad- 
vancing the  interests  of  the  Master  by  causing  its 
readers  to  become  familiar  with  the  chief  events  in 
the  life  of  His  greatest  servant,  is  my  earnest  prayer. 

J.  W.  L. 

Barbowville,  Kjf, 


Contents 


I.  Paul's  Early  Years     .  .  .         .  •        '3 

II.  The  Church  Founded  :  Its  Early  Struggles       25 

III.  The  Death  of  Stephen  and  the  Dispersion 

OF  THE  Church       .....       43 

IV.  Saul  Converted  .....        54 

V.  Events  in  Antioch       .....        69 

VI.  The     First     Missionary    Journey    Begun  : 

Events  in  Cyprus  .....       76 

VII.  The  First  Missionary  Journey  Continued  : 

In  the  Uplands  of  Asia  Minor         .  .       85 

VIII.  The  Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  .  .      102 

IX.  The    Second     Missionary   Journey    Begun  : 

From  Antioch  to  Philippi       .  .  .112 

X.  The  Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued: 

From  Philippi  to  Corinth,  and  Thence  to 
Antioch         .  .  .  .  .  •      '33 

XI.  The    Third     Missionary    Journey    Begun: 

From  Antioch  to  Ephesus       .  .  .157 

XII.  The  Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued: 

From    Ephesus    Through    Macedonia    to 
Jerusalem       .  .  .  .         .         .173 

XIII.  Jerusalem  and  C^sarea        ....     192 

XIV.  From  C^sarea  to  the  End  ....     220 


11 


s 


-/- 


a« 

J 

^ 

y  \ 

/      *' 

1 

^ 

J 

K'"*'^ 

— s 

1 

/ 

'" 

— 1 — 

_ 

) 

^ 

^^ 

s.  ; 

/ 

P- 

^ 

SJ  ' 

K"     ] 

1 

; 

jt§ 

f\  i 

! 

h^ 

t:  }i 

\  * 

PAUL'S  EAELY  YEAES 

THE  Gospel  of  Christ  is  God's  means  to  save 
the  human  family.  Wise  Gentiles  from 
afar  and  plain  unlettered  shepherds  in  the 
homeland  knelt  with  true  devotion  in  the  presence 
of  the  infant  Saviour  and  gave  Him  the  homage  of 
their  hearts.  The  fact  that  the  shepherds  came  first 
faintly  foreshadowed  the  divine  arrangement  that 
the  Gospel  should  first  be  offered  to  the  Jews,  and 
then  extended  to  the  Gentiles.  The  Eedeemer  of 
mankind  came  to  the  world  by  way  of  the  Jewish 
nation.  "  Salvation  is  of  the  Jews. "  The  prophets 
of  Israel  had  blazed  the  way  for  Him  across  the  cen- 
turies. Divine  wisdom  had  traced  out  clearly  every 
step  of  the  way  from  Eden  to  Bethlehem  and  from 
Eve  to  Mary. 

In  the  tenth  chapter  of  John,  Jesus  represents  Him- 
self as  coming  to  His  nation  as  the  shepherd  enters 
the  fold.  The  nation  of  Israel  was  the  fold,  Jesus 
the  shepherd,  and  the  door  was  the  one  opened  for 
Him  by  the  prophets.  We  are  assured  that  He  is 
the  Good  Shepherd  by  the  fact  that  He  came  through 
the  right  door.  He  declared  that  all  who  came  be- 
fore Him  were  thieves  and  robbers.  In  this  declara- 
tion He  alluded  to  the  false  christs  who  came  before 
Him,  but  who  could  not  prove  their  claims.  They 
had  failed  to  enter  through  the  door  of  prophecy  and 
had  tried  to  climb  up  some  other  way,  but  the  ^heep 

13 


14  Paul  the  Apostle 

did  not  hear  them.  They  were  identified  as  im- 
postors and  came  to  naught. 

Jesus  included  the  whole  world  in  His  program. 
His  Gospel  was  intended  for  all  men  everywhere. 
' '  Other  sheep  have  I  which  are  not  of  this  fold : 
them  also  I  must  bring  and  they  shall  hear  my 
voice;  and  they  shall  become  one  flock,  one  shep- 
herd" (John  X.  16).  These  other  sheep  were  the 
Geutiles.  They  were  to  receive  the  same  considera- 
tion in  the  great  plan  of  salvation  as  the  Jews.  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons.  The  Gospel  was  to  begin 
at  Jerusalem  and  spread  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth ;  and  when  the  fullness  of  time  came  for  the 
word  of  life  to  be  proclaimed  to  the  Gentiles,  a  for- 
eign-born Jew  with  Gentile  culture  more  or  less  ex- 
tensive was  chosen  to  bear  the  message.  This  man 
was  Saul  of  Tarsus. 

The  date  of  his  birth  cannot  be  determined  with 
absolute  certainty,  but  it  can  be  brought  within  very 
narrow  limits.  We  know  that  at  the  time  of  Ste- 
phen's death  he  was  a  young  man.  The  term  "  young 
man  "  is  indefinite.  It  may  be  used  to  describe  a 
man  anywhere  between  eighteen  and  thirty-five 
years  of  age.  It  is  practically  certain  that,  a  short 
time  after  Stephen's  death,  gaul  was  a  member  of 
the  Sauhedrin,  and,  if  this  be  true,  he  was  at  least 
thirty.  No  one  was  eligible  to  a  seat  in  that  august 
body  until  he  had  attained  that  age.  Moreover,  in 
the  year  62  when  writing  from  Rome  where  he  was  a 
prisoner  in  bonds,  the  apostle  referred  to  himself  as 
''Paul  the  aged."  He  was  perhaps  not  quite  sixty 
at  the  time  he  wrote  the  Epistle  to  Philemon,  in 
which  he  made  this  reference  to  himself.     It  is  prob- 


Paul's  Early  Years  15 

able  that  the  suffering  that  he  had  endured,  the  ex- 
posure to  the  storms  aud  shipwrecks  through  which 
he  had  passed,  had  caused  him  to  grow  old  before 
his  time. 

Very  little  is  known  in  regard  to  the  ancestry  of 
Saul.  His  parents  were  Jews  of  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min, and,  in  religion,  they  were  Pharisees.  They 
had  for  some  reason  migrated  to  Tarsus.  Tradition 
has  it  that  they  lived  in  the  obscure  town  of  Giscala 
before  they  left  the  laud  of  Israel.  The  Pharisees 
were  the  most  numerous  and  popular  of  the  sects  into 
which  the  Jewish  people  were  divided  at  the  time  of 
Christ.  They  had  succeeded  in  convincing  them- 
selves that  they  were  very  religious.  They  were, 
indeed,  very  scrupulous  about  keeping  the  letter  of 
the  law  in  small  things,  even  though  they  violated 
both  letter  aud  spirit  in  larger  things.  Jesus  de- 
nounced them  as  blind  guides  to  a  blinded  people. 
They  were  strict  in  religious  observances,  aud  proud 
and  pompous  in  their  demeanour  towards  men.  But, 
with  ail  their  faults,  they  were  the  best  people  of  the 
time.     Jesus  chose  His  apostles  from  among  them. 

The  main  item  of  their  teaching  was  the  belief  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  aud  the  future  life. 
They  held  also  to  the  tradition  of  the  elders.  This 
tradition,  so  frequently  mentioned  in  the  New  Tesia- 
ment,  was  a  mass  of  oral  teaching  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation,  aud  held  by  those  who  ac- 
cepted it  to  be  equal  in  authority  to  the  law  of  Moses. 
The  sect  came  into  existence  between  the  close  of  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  opening  of  the  Christian  era. 
Their  founder  was  one  Pharez  of  whom  little  is 
known. 


i6  Paul  the  Apostle 

The  Sadducees,  founded  by  Sadoc,  were  the  next 
party  to  the  Pharisees  in  strength  and  influence. 
They  held  a  negative  position,  denying  the  resurrec- 
tion and  refusing  to  accej)t  the  tradition  of  the  elders. 
The  law  of  Moses  said  nothing  about  a  future  life, 
and  they  held  literally  to  the  law.  On  matters  of 
doctrine,  they  and  the  Pharisees  were  the  antipodes 
of  each  other.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  Pharisees 
took  more  readily  to  the  Gospel  than  did  the  Sad- 
ducees. Saul,  being  the  son  of  Pharisees,  was  trained 
from  his  infancy  in  the  tenets  of  that  party.  His 
fatlier,  in  teaching  the  law,  naturally  interpreted  it 
with  a  Pharisaic  colouring.  Many  years  afterwards, 
when  it  became  necessary  for  Saul  to  denounce  the 
entire  Jewish  system  as  an  obsolete  institution,  the 
knowledge  that  he  had  acquired  from  his  father  at 
home,  and  from  greater  teachers  elsewhere,  was 
turned  to  good  account. 

It  is  probable  that  Saul's  parents  left  the  land  of 
their  nativity  to  seek  a  home  among  Gentiles  in  their 
early  married  life  ;  and,  if  he  was  their  first  born,  we 
can  admire  their  patriotism  in  bestowing  upon  him 
a  name  common  among  their  own  nation.  Still,  we 
do  not  see  why  a  name  made  dishonourable  in  their 
history  by  the  evil  conduct  of  the  first  king  of  Israel 
should  have  been  given  by  fond  parents  to  their  first 
child  ;  but  though  the  name  had  been  dishonoured 
by  one  who  bore  it,  it  was  destined  to  shine  with  a 
far  more  brilliant  lustre  than  the  name  of  any  king 
who  ever  reigned  on  earth,  because  of  having  been 
borne  by  the  greatest  human  character  of  the  New 
Testament. 

The  city  that  had  the  honour  of  being  the  birth- 


Paul's  Early  Years  17 

place  of  Saul  was  Tarsus,  the  capital  of  Cilicia,  a 
small  province  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Asia  Miuor, 
and  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 
The  birth  of  Saul  was  the  most  important  event  that 
ever  occurred  in  Tarsus,  and  to  that  event  it  owes  its 
fame  in  the  world.  That  is  fame  enough  for  any  one 
city.  It  was  an  important  place  at  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  Saul.    It  is  smaller  and  of  less  importance  now. 

The  city  stood  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Cydnus  a 
few  miles  from  the  Mediterranean  shore.  Towards 
the  north  and  west,  and  in  full  view,  the  lofty  Taurus 
Mountains  lifted  their  splintered  peaks  into  the  re- 
gions of  everlasting  snow  ;  and,  as  Saul  played  with 
his  sister  in  the  streets  of  his  native  city,  he  could, 
eveu  in  midsummer,  see  the  snow  glittering  like 
silver  on  the  pinnacles  and  crags  a  few  miles  away. 
The  river  brought  down  from  the  melting  snows  of 
the  mountains  water  of  icy  coldness. 

A  short  distance  above  the  city,  the  river  plunges 
down  a  declivity  and  forms  a  wild  and  picturesque 
cataract,  and  thence  flows  onward  unobstructed  to  the 
sea.  The  Cydnus  was  navigable  as  far  as  the  cata- 
ract, and  the  ships  of  many  countries  ascended  to  the 
city  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  The  site  was  favourable 
to  commerce.  By  means  of  the  river  it  had  an  open 
road  to  the  sea,  and  through  the  noted  mountain  pass 
known  as  the  "Cilician  Gates"  the  products  of  the 
uplands  beyond  the  Taurus  were  brought  down  to 
Tarsus  and  thence  passed  out  to  the  heaving  bosom 
of  the  Great  Sea. 

To  us  it  is  a  matter  of  wonder  that  one  so  sensitive 
and  so  observing  as  Saul  could  have  spent  his  boy- 
hood in  the  midst  of  such  surroundings  without  be- 


i8  Paul  the  Apostle 

ing  impressed  with  the  natural  beauty  of  the  scenery, 
but,  if  these  embellishments  on  Nature's  face  made 
the  least  impression  on  his  mind,  we  have  no  hint  of 
it  in  any  of  his  letters  or  addresses  that  have  come 
down  to  us.  We  know  that  he  journeyed  often  amid 
scenes  of  entrancing  beauty  and  grandeur  unsur- 
passed, but  we  look  in  vain  for  even  a  word  of  de- 
scription of  such  scenes,  or  even  the  briefest  reference 
to  them.  The  probable  reason  for  this  silence  lies  in 
the  fact  that  the  message  he  had  for  mankind  bore  so 
heavily  upon  him  that  he  could  see  no  river  but  the 
Eiver  of  Life,  and  no  other  mountain  than  Calvary. 

Tarsus  was  a  free  city,  and  noted  in  Saul's  day  as 
an  educational  center.  The  law  of  ^^se^  made  it  the 
duty  of  the  father  to  instruct  his  chiTdren  in  the  his- 
tory and  religion  of  Israel.  Eeligion  and  history 
were  so  blended  in  the  Jewish  nation  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  study  one  and  not  become  familiar  with 
the  other.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  without  their 
history  they  had  no  religion,  and  without  their  relig- 
ion they  had  no  history.  For  secular  education  the 
people  of  Tarsus  depended  upon  the  educational  fa- 
cilities of  the  city.  Hai^pily,  these  were  of  the  very 
best.  The  University  of  Tarsus  was  known  far  and 
wide,  and  the  youth  of  many  lands  resorted  thither 
for  instruction.  Strabo,  the  traveller  and  writer, 
who  was  born  sixty-four  yeara  before  Christ,  is  au- 
thority for  the  statement  that  Tarsus  surpassed  both 
Athens  and  Alexandria  as  a  seat  of  learning.  Saul 
was  fortunate  in  having  such  unusual  opportunities 
in  his  boyhood,  and  in  his  later  years  he  made  good 
use  of  the  training  he  had  received  in  his  native  city. 

At  what  age  Saul  left  Tarsus  is  unknown,  but  it' 


Paul's  Early  Years  19 

was  probably  not  later  than  his  thirteenth  year.  A 
Jewish  boy  at  twelve  years  of  age  became  a  "  Son  of 
the  Law,"  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  Saul  began 
his  special  traiuiug  at  that  age.  If  this  probability  *' 
be  true,  he  could  not  have  possessed  that  high  degree  f 
of  scholarship  that  mauy  attribute  to  him.  There  is  •"' 
no  reason  to  accord  to  him  any  great  familiarity  with  •» 
pagan  philosophy  and  literature.  It  is  true  that  on 
two  occasions  he  did  exhibit  some  knowledge  of  Gen- 
tile literature — once  on  Mars  Hill  and  once  in  his 
Epistle  to  Titus, — butito  argue  from  this  that  he  pos- 
sessed any  deep  kno\nedge  of  classic  lore  is  but  to 
argue  without  premised  If  we  are  approximately 
correct  in  the  conjecture Vs  to  his  age  on  leaving  Tar- 
sus, about  all  the  knowleage  of  Gentile  literature  he 
possessed  was  acquired  before  he  reached  his  thir- 
teenth year.  What  other  classic  learning  he  possessed 
was  gathered  up  in  his  travels  among  Gentile  peoples. 
The  conjecture  as  to  his  age  cannot  be  far  wrong. 
He  says  himself  that  he  was  "Jbrought  up  "  in  the 
school  of  Gamaliel  in  Jerusalem.  He  was  far  from 
grown  when  he  entered  the  school  of  Gamaliel,  else 
he  could  not  have  said  with  any  degree  of  propriety 
that  he  had  been  brought  up  in  it. 

One  more  element  of  his  earlier  education  must  be 
mentioned  before  we  follow  him  in  his  further  prog- 
ress as  he  pursues  his  studies  in  an  institution  of 
learning  devoted  to  religious  instruction.  We  refer 
to  his  industrial  education.  The  rabbis  required  all 
Jewish  fathers  to  teach  their  sons  some  useful  and 
honourable  trade.  The  purpose  of  this  wise  custom 
was  to  render  each  man  in  the  nation  capable  of  self-  ^ 
support,  of  providing  for  his  own  personal  needs         ^ 


20  Paul  the  Apostle 

and  of  those  dependent  upon  him.  Any  one  thus 
equipped  was  able  to  engage  in  useful  labour  if  it 
should  become  necessary.  It  was  a  wise  precaution 
against  possible  need.  One  of  the  wise  men  of  the 
nation  had  said,  ''He  that  hath  a  trade  is  like  a 
vineyard  that  is  fenced."  The  rich  and  the  poor 
alike  followed  this  custom  of  giving  their  sons  this 
industrial  training.  The  poor  needed  it  as  means  of 
support.  The  rich  might  be  reduced  to  poverty  by 
reverses  and  misfortunes,  and  they  would  have  the 
trade  as  a  recourse  to  supply  their  daily  needs. 

The  father  of  Saul  observed  this  national  practice 
and  taught  him  a  trade.  Saul  became  a  tent-maker, 
but  had  no  thought  of  following  that  trade  as  a  Y.er6a- 
tion.  Tarsus  was  a  manufacturing  city.  A^'heavy 
haircloth,  such  as  was  used  for  makiugyfe^nts,  was 
made  there.  Such  cloth  was  in  great  d^and.  Most 
of  the  rural  people  lived  in  tents  amd  moved  from 
place  to  place  to  find  water  and/pasture  for  their 
flocks  and  herds.  They  lived/ft  nomadic  life.  The 
trade  of  tent-making  was  a^easy  one  for  Saul  to 
learn,  and  it  met  the  demands  of  the  rabbis,  who  did 
not  select  a  special  trade  for  each  youth.  Saul  had 
a  good  opportunity  to  become  skillful  and  was  soon 
master  of  his  art.  When  he  was  acquiring  this  skill 
as  an  artisan,  he  never  dreamed  that  he  would  ever 
be  compelled  to  resort  to  it  for  his  living  ;  but  before 
we  reach  the  end  of  our  study  of  his  life  and  labours, 
we  shall  see  that  he  was  brought  to  the  necessity  of 
performing  daily  labour  for  his  daily  bread.  By  means 
of  this  trade  he  was  enabled  to  reach  men  with  the 
Gospel  and  lead  them  to  Christ,  when,  otherwise,  he 
might  have  failed. 


X 


Paul's  Early  Years  21 

In  the  city  of  Jerusalem  there  was  a  celebrated 
school  under  the  management  of  the  Pharisees,  and 
devoted  to  the  education  of  young  men  who  desired 
to  become  rabbis.  Having  made  up  his  mind  to  be- 
come a  rabbi,  Saul  determined  to  enter  this  institu- 
tiji»f''''!Ceaving  the  parental  home  to  begin  life  among 
strangers  is  a  trying  ordeal  to  any  one,  and  espe- 
cially trying  to  one  so  young  as  Saul,  but  the  thought 
that  after  a  few  years  spent  in  college  he  would  go 
forth  well  equipped  for  his  life-work  gave  him 
strength  to  endure  the  trial. 

With  light  heart  the  ambitious  youth  started  on 
his  way  to  the  Holy  City.  Could  he  realize  it  ?  Was 
he  really  to  see  Jerusalem,  the  city  about  which  he 
had  thought  and  dreamed  so  many  times  ?  Yes,  he 
was  actually  on  his  way  thither,  and  better  still,  he 
was  to  spend  a  term  of  years  in  the  sacred  city  of  his 
fathers,  and  best  of  all,  these  years  were  to  be  spent 
in  studying  the  word  of  God,  under  the  instruction  of 
the  greatest  and  best  teacher  alive.  This  was  the 
great  Gamaliel,  known  all  over  the  Jewish  world  as 
the  profoundest  and  purest  of  all  the  doctors  of  the 
law.  Because  of  his  extensive  knowledge  and  deep 
piety  he  was  known  to  his  generation  as  The  Beauty 
of  the  Law.  He  was  not  only  an  able  teacher  of  the 
law,  but  the  same  principles  that  he  taught  to  others 
he  applied  to  himself  He  made  the  law  beautiful 
by  striving  to  live  up  to  its  high  demands. 

Although  Gamaliel  was  strictly  loyal  to  the  law  of 
Moses  and  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  he  was  by  no 
means  averse  to  Gentile  culture.  He  wielded  a 
mighty  influence  over  his  students,  and  how  much  of 
the  success  of  Saul  of  Tarsus  in  after  life  was  due  to 


22  Paul  the  Apostle 

him  we  cannot  tell.  The  apparently  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures  possessed  by  Saul  was  mainly 
acquired  in  the  school  of  Gamaliel.  This  familiarity 
with  the  Old  Testament  was  not  confined  to  any  por- 
tion of  it.  The  apostle  quotes  with  equal  ease  and 
readiness  from  the  law,  prophecy,  poetry  and  his- 
tory. 

The  course  of  training  for  a  rabbi  was  long  and 
toilsome.  Two  things  were  especially  emphasized : 
the  Old  Testament  was  thoroughly  studied  and  much 
of  it  memorized,  and  the  students  were  made  familiar 
with  the  opinions,  comments  and  criticisms  of  the 
great  teachers  of  the  law,  living  and  dead.  Discussion 
upon  questions  about  which  opinions  differed  was  a 
prominent  part  of  the  instruction  given.  Questions 
were  put  forth  by  both  teachers  and  students,  and  full 
and  free  discussion  served  to  enliven  the  irksome  and 
monotonous  routine  of  daily  study.  Boys  who  in- 
tended to  become  rabbis  entered  such  schools  when 
quite  young,  and  were  literally  "brought  up"  in 
them. 

To  go  forth  from  such  a  school  with  sufficient 
equipment  to  enter  at  once  upon  the  duties  of  rabbi 
to  a  synagogue  was  the  realization  of  many  youthful 
aspirations,  but  no  doubt  many  of  these  failed  in  real 
life  and,  with  sorrow  to  themselves  and  their  friends, 
sought  other  vocations.  But,  whatever  may  be  said 
in  regard  to  others,  Saul  was  not  a  failure.  Had  the 
current  of  his  life  flowed  onward  uninterrupted  in  its 
course,  he  would  have  equalled,  if  not  surpassed,  his 
great  teacher.  But  the  wisdom  of  God  called  him  to 
other  and  better  work.  The  wearisome  years  spent 
under  Gamaliel's  instruction  were  not  wasted.     In 


Paul's  Early  Years  23 

his  missionary  journeys  among  the  Gentiles  he  used 
his  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  with  good  effect. 

While  his  mission  was  j)rimarily  to  the  Gentiles, 
he  was  not  unmindful  of  his  own  nation.  It  was  his 
custom  even  in  heathen  cities  where  a  sufficient  num 
ber  of  Jews  could  be  found  to  build  and  maintain  a 
.synagogue,  to  speak  to  the  Jews  first  and  through 
them  reach  their  Gentile  neighbours.  *'To  the  Jew 
first  and  also  to  the  Gentile  "  was  not  only  the  divine 
plan  of  evangelization,  but  it  was  Saul's  plan  of  car 
rying  the  divine  plan  into  practical  effect. 

It  is  not  probable  that  Saul  was  in  Jerusalem  as  a 
student  during  any  portion  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus, 
He  had,  quite  likely,  finished  his  course  in  school 
and  returned  to  his  home  in  Tarsus  before  Jesus  be- 
gan His  public  ministry.  The  fact  that  he  makes  no 
mention  of  any  personal  knowledge  of  Jesus  until  he 
saw  Him  in  the  great  vision  on  the  way  to  Damascus 
would  naturally  imply  that  he  had  no  such  knowl 
edge.  It  is  incredible  that  he  could  have  been  in 
Jerusalem  during  the  years  that  Jesus  frequented 
that  city  and  not  heard  something  about  Him,  or,  if 
he  had  such  knowledge,  it  is  equally  incredible  that 
he  would  have  said  nothing  about  it.  The  fact  that 
such  knowledge  is  not  mentioned  in  any  of  his  writ- 
ings is  the  best  evidence  that  he  did  not  possess  it. 

There  is  one  more  probability  that  is  worthy  of 
notice,  relative  to  his  domestic  life.  It  is  really 
more  than  a  probability.  "Was  he  ever  married? 
People  who  have  so  long  looked  upon  him  as  having 
always  been  a  single  man  will  be  slow  to  regard  him 
as  otherwise.  No  one  can  speak  with  positive  assur- 
ance.    We  all  know  that  during  his  apostolic  life  he 


24  Paul  the  Apostle 

was  not  bound  by  family  ties,  but  there  are  strong 
reasons  for  believing  that,  at  one  time  in  his  life,  he 
was  a  married  man.  In  his  masterly  address  before 
King  Agrippa  Saul  said  that  when  Christian  men 
and  women  were  put  to  death  for  their  faith,  he  gave 
his  vote  against  them.  These  unfortunate  victims  of 
enraged  men  were  put  to  death  by  the  vote  of  the 
Sanhedrin,  before  which  body  they  were  formally 
tried.  Only  those  who  were  members  of  the  Sanhe- 
drin had  the  right  to  vote  on  such  occasions,  and  if 
Saul  cast  his  vote — and  we  have  his  word  for  it  that 
he  did, — he  was  a  member  of  that  body.  Jewish 
scholars  tell  us  that  married  men  only  were  eligible 
to  seats  in  the  Sanhedrin  ;  and,  if  this  be  true,  Saul 
was  at  that  time  a  man  of  family. 

When  he  had  completed  his  course  in  school  Saul 
returned  to  his  home  and  remained  there  for  a  few 
years.  We  have  no  means  of  knowing  how  these 
years  were  spent,  but  when  he  did  emerge  from  ob- 
scurity he  came  forth  a  thunderbolt  of  persecution 
against  the  inoffensive  followers  of  Christ.  Men, 
women,  and  children  were  alike  the  objects  of  his  in- 
satiable wrath  against  the  innocent  Christians.  That 
God  should  call  such  a  man  to  become  an  apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  the  boldest  champion  that  ever  ad- 
vocated New  Testament  Christianity  remains  one  of 
the  greatest  marvels  of  all  time. 


n 


THE  CHUECH  FOUNDED :  ITS  EAELY 
STEUGGLES 

WHILE  Saul  was  in  obscurity  many  strange 
things  occurred  in  Jerusalem.  Among 
these  were  the  public  life  of  Jesus,  His 
death,  burial,  resurrection  and  ascension,  followed 
by  the  establishment  of  the  church.  That  the  church 
was  established  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  following 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  is  a  fact  so  well  known  and 
so  generally  accepted  by  the  Christian  world  that  it 
need  not  be  argued.  Before  that  day  the  church  was 
spoken  of  as  something  yet  to  be,  and  after  that  day 
it  is  always  referred  to  as  an  existing  institution. 
Before  Pentecost  the  church  was  a  matter  of  proph- 
ecy, but  on  that  day  it  became  a  matter  of  history 
and  has  been  so  regarded  ever  since.  The  circum- 
stances connected  with  the  founding  of  the  church 
can  be  read  in  the  second  chapter  of  Acts. 

The  church  had  but  fairly  started  on  its  career  of 
redemi)tion  when  it  encountered  fierce  opposition. 
The  character  of  the  disciples  as  a  body  was  above  re- 
proach. They  continued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles' 
teaching  and  in  the  breaking  of  bread  and  prayers. 
Their  love  for  each  other  was  strong  and  deep ; 
and  prompted  by  this  love,  those  who  possessed  suf- 
ficient worldly  goods  to  enable  them  to  do  so  formed 
a  common  relief  fund  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  in 

25 


26  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  congregation.  /This  act  was  both  original  and 
voluntary.  There  had  been  no  precedent  in  human 
history,  and  the  church  consequently  had  no  example 
to  follow.  The  plan  for  caring  for  the  poor  sprang 
out  of  the  hearts  of  men  who  were  filled  with  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.  Those  who  gave  to  this  fund  were 
not  forced  to  do  so,  but  gave  freely  and  gladly  to 
those  in  need. 

The  brethren  used  the  court  of  the  temple  as  a 
meeting  place,  and  broke  their  bread  from  house  to 
house  with  gladness  and  good  will.  This  brotherly 
love,  devotion,  and  sociability  did  not  fail  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  better  class  of  the  people  who 
could  not  but  admire  the  conduct  of  the  disciples. 
The  church  naturally  grew  in  numbers,  in  strength, 
and  influence.  The  disciples  had  the  good  will  of 
the  public,  and  men  and  women  were  turning  to 
Christ  by  hundreds  and  by  thousands.  Three  thou- 
sand were  added  to  the  saved  on  the  first  day  of  the 
church's  existence,  and  soon  after  that  day  the  num- 
ber grew  to  be  about  five  thousand.  The  zeal  of  the 
apostles  and  the  unselfishness  of  the  disciples  had  a 
wholesome  effect  on  the  i)eople  of  the  city.  Good 
fellowship  and  good  feeling  prevailed. 

This  happy  condition  of  things  was  abruptly  ter- 
minated, and  the  worst  side  of  human  nature  asserted 
itself  in  an  uprising  of  the  religious  leaders  against 
the  disciples.  The  opposition  that  was  aroused  was 
intense  and  resulted  from  one  Christlike  deed  per- 
formed by  Peter  and  John.  In  the  city  there  was  a 
deformed  man  who  had  never  been  able  to  walk. 
His  feet  and  ankles  were  so  weak  that  he  could  not 
stand.     He  was  poor  and  in  the  hands  of  his  friends. 


The  Church  Founded  27 

They,  knowing  that  people  who  frequent  the  house 
of  God  were  more  benevolent  than  others,  laid  him 
at  the  main  entrance  to  the  temple  every  day,  where 
he  could  beg  assistance  of  those  who  went  to  worship. 

Perhaps  no  two  men  ever  differed  in  disposition 
and  temperament  more  widely  than  did  Peter  and 
John,  but  they  loved  each  other  none  the  less  on 
that  account.  They  went  up  to  the  temple  and  wor- 
shipped God  together.  As  they  were  about  to  pass 
through  the  gate  called  Beautiful,  the  helpless  man 
saw  them  and  asked  them  for  money,  expecting  to 
receive  a  small  gift.  Peter  answered  him  by  saying, 
''Look  on  us."  The  apostles  did  not  look  like  men 
of  much  means,  but  men  of  wealth  are  not  always  the 
most  liberal.  Peter's  words  gave  the  poor  man  some 
encouragement.  The  impotent  man  lay  upon  the 
pavement  gazing  up  at  the  two  strange  men  who 
stood  over  his  prostrate  form.  Peter  said,  "Silver 
and  gold  have  I  none  ;  but  what  I  have  that  give  I 
thee.     In  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  walk." 

The  man  made  no  effort  to  rise  till  Peter  stooped 
down  and  lifted  him  up.  And  when  he  felt  the  thrill 
of  new  vigour  in  his  feet  and  ankles,  he  leaped  up  and 
began  to  shout  for  sheer  joy.  His  delight  was  ec- 
static. Holding  to  these  men  with  both  hands,  he 
went  dancing  into  the  temple  praising  God  with  loud 
exclamations.  This  was  a  strange  scene  to  transpire 
in  the  court  of  the  temple,  and  it  very  naturally  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  people.  They  came 
crowding  around  Peter  and  John,  filled  with  wonder 
at  what  had  come  to  pass.  Peter  took  the  advantage 
of  the  occasion  and  preached  the  second  great  sermon 
of  his  life.     A  synopsis  of  this  sermon  is  found  in  the 


28  Paul  the  Apostle 

third  chapter  of  Acts.  It  produced  a  profound  effect 
upon  all  who  heard  it.  The  sermon  was  never  fin- 
ished. While  Peter  was  speaking  a  mob  broke  into 
a  frenzy  and  put  an  end  to  the  discourse.  It  was  a 
mob  that  had  the  semblance  of  law,  but  nevertheless 
a  mob.  The  attacking  crowd  was  composed  of  the 
priests  and  Sadducees  and  led  by  the  ofiicers  in 
charge  of  the  temple.  They  were  grieved  because 
the  apostles  preached  through  Jesus  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead.  It  seems  strange  to  us  that  such  preach- 
ing would  displease  any  man,  and  that  men  should 
regard  such  preaching  as  a  crime  worthy  of  severe 
punishment. 

The  apostles  were  arrested  like  criminals  and  put 
into  prison  where  they  spent  the  night.  They  were 
destined  to  have  many  waves  of  persecution  roll  over 
them,  and  were  only  getting  a  foretaste  of  what  was 
to  become  common  in  their  lives  as  pioneers  of  the 
Christian  faith.  The  wearisome  agony  of  their  first 
night  in  prison  passed  away  and  morning  dawned 
upon  the  excited  city.  At  an  early  hour  a  meeting 
of  the  leading  men  was  called  to  deliberate,  and  the 
question  to  be  decided  was  what  to  do  with  Peter 
and  John.  A  prominent  figure  in  the  assembly  was 
the  high  priest.  John  and  Alexander  are  mentioned 
as  being  present.  This  is  the  only  time  their  names 
are  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  and  we  do  not 
know  who  they  were  or  what  positions  they  filled  to 
entitle  them  to  a  place  among  the  leaders  of  the  na- 
tion. They  were  doubtless  well  known  to  Theophilus 
to  whom  Luke  wrote  the  Book  of  Acts  as  a  personal 
letter. 

The  high  priest  was,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  the 


The  Church  Founded  29 

chairman  of  the  assembly.  The  Sanhedrin  was 
opened  in  form  and  the  prisoners  were  called  before 
that  body  for  trial.  They  were  given  seats  iu  the 
center  of  the  half  circle  into  which  the  body  had 
been  arranged.  The  apostles,  conscious  of  their  own 
innocence,  faced  the  proud  array  without  a  tremor 
of  fear.  They  were  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  The  question  asked  them  was  this, 
"By  what  power,  or  in  what  name  have  ye  done 
this  ? "  The  question  referred  to  the  healing  of  the 
deformed  man  at  the  Beautiful  Gate.  The  question 
was  put  to  both  of  them,  but  Peter,  being  an  older 
man  than  John  and  having  had  more  experience  in 
the  ways  of  the  world,  gave  the  answer  himself.  He 
responded  by  making  this  speech  :  "  Ye  rulers  of  the 
people  and  elders,  if  we  this  day  be  examined  con- 
cerning a  good  deed  done  to  an  impotent  man,  by 
what  means  this  man  is  made  whole  j  be  it  known 
unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the  people  of  Israel,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified, 
whom  God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  in  Him  doth 
this  man  stand  before  you  whole.  He  is  the  stone 
which  was  set  at  naught  of  you  the  builders,  which 
was  made  the  head  of  the  corner.  And  in  none 
other  is  there  salvation  :  for  neither  is  there  any 
other  name  under  heaven,  that  is  given  among  men, 
wherein  we  must  be  saved." 

The  speech  was  bold  and  daring,  and  characteristic 
of  the  man  who  made  it.  The  members  of  the  San- 
hedrin were  astounded  at  such  a  deliverance  and 
impressed  with  the  dignified  bearing  of  the  prisoners. 
They  could  see  plainly  that  the  apostles  were  not 
men  of  the  schools,  and  they  could  also  see  from  the 


3©  Paul  the  Apostle 

conduct  of  the  apostles  that  they  had  been  with 
Jesus.  The  Master  had  left  His  imprint  upon  them 
and  they  were  readily  identified  as  His  followers. 
Men  may  differ  widely  in  matters  of  religious  opin- 
ion, but  nothing  can  be  said  against  a  good  life.  A 
pure  character  is  above  criticism.  The  way  Peter 
and  John  conducted  themselves  before  the  Sauhedrin 
showed  that  they  had  been  much  in  the  Master's 
presence.  They  had  seen  Him  under  trial  before  this 
same  body  ;  they  had  observed  His  calm  dignity  and 
self-possession,  and  they  never  forgot  His  meek  ex- 
ample when  they  came  to  trial. 

The  lame  man,  now  lame  no  longer,  but  in  the  full 
vigour  of  healthy  manhood,  was  standing  in  the  crowd. 
He  had  been  led  by  sheer  gratitude  to  follow  his 
benefactors  into  the  council,  and  his  presence  there 
served  to  give  strength  to  the  defense  of  the  apostles. 
The  genuineness  of  the  miracle  could  not  be  doubted 
as  long  as  the  man  on  whom  it  was  wrought  was  pres- 
ent. Seeing  the  man,  they  could  not  dispute  the 
miracle.  They  knew  not  what  to  do.  Some  one 
temporarily  relieved  the  strain  of  the  situation  by 
suggesting  that  the  prisoners  be  removed  from  the 
presence  of  the  court  and  that  further  consultation  be 
held. 

The  deliberations  were  continued,  and  the  insincer- 
ity of  the  body  is  easily  seen  in  the  conversation  that 
followed.  Some  one  said  :  "  What  shall  we  do  to 
these  men?  for  that  indeed  a  notable  miracle  hath 
been  wrought  by  them  is  manifest  to  all  who  dwell 
in  Jerusalem  ;  and  we  cannot  deny  it."  Why  should 
they  want  to  deny  it  ?  They  were  very  anxious  to 
stop  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  among  the  people,  and 


The  Church  Founded  31 

the  only  question  was  liow  to  do  it.  After  much  delib- 
eration they  reached  the  conclusion  that  they  would 
endeavour  to  intimidate  the  apostles  by  threatening 
them  with  severe  punishment,  if  they  preached  any 
more  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  They  did  not  know  the 
spirit  of  the  men  they  were  trying  to  silence  through 
fear. 

After  reaching  the  conclusion  to  threaten  them,  the 
apostles  were  called  once  more  into  the  presence  of 
the  council,  and  the  chairmen  announced  to  them 
the  result  of  the  consultation.  It  was  to  the  effect 
that  the  present  case  would  be  dismissed  on  the  con- 
dition that  they  would  do  no  more  preaching  and 
work  no  more  miracles  in  the  name  of  Christ.  The 
members  of  the  Sanhedrin  had  no  reason  to  hope  that 
the  proposition  would  be  accepted.  They  made  it  as 
a  desperate  effort  with  little  or  no  hope  of  success. 
The  apostles  received  the  announcement  with  digni- 
fied disdain  and  said  in  reply:  "Whether  it  be 
right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  rather 
than  unto  God,  j  udge  ye  ;  for  we  cannot  but  speak  the 
things  which  we  saw  and  heard." 

This  response  hurled  defiance  at  the  whole  Sanhe- 
drin and  increased  the  peri)lexity  of  the  fathers  in 
Israel  still  more.  Peter  was  stronger  then  than  he 
had  been  a  short  time  before,  when  in  the  presence 
of  the  same  body  he  denied  his  Lord  and  Master. 
Peter's  answer  was  clear  and  pointed,  and  the  council 
could  say  no  more.  The  proposed  threat  was  again 
repeated,  and  the  apostles  were  set  at  liberty.  Peter 
and  John  had  broken  no  law,  human  or  divine,  in 
healing  the  impotent  man,  and  they  could  not  be  law- 
fully punished.    They  had  the  sympathy  of  the  people. 


32  Paul  the  Apostle 

Only  the  leaders  were  opposed  to  them.  The  man 
who  was  healed  was  more  than  forty  years  old  aud 
well  known  in  the  city.  All  rejoiced  at  his  having 
been  healed,  except  the  priests  aud  scribes,  and  they 
were  very  much  exercised.  They  feared  that  the  new 
teaching  would  supplant  the  old,  and  that  their  vo- 
cation would  come  to  naught.  They  were  jealous 
even  unto  dishonesty  in  upholding  their  religious 
system.  The  cause  is  indeed  weak  that  tries  to  suc- 
ceed by  means  of  hypocrisy. 

When  Peter  and  John  were  set  at  liberty  they  went 
to  their  friends  and  brethren  and  told  them  all  that 
had  transpired  in  the  council.  This  information  was 
the  occasion  of  the  whole  body  kneeling  before  God 
in  earnest  prayer.  They  had  cause  for  thanksgiving 
for  the  release  of  Peter  aud  John,  and  they  felt  the 
need  of  intercession  in  view  of  troubles  yet  to  come. 
They  realized  fully  that  God  was  with  them  and 
blessing  their  labours.  They  prayed  that  the  blessing 
might  continue  with  them  aud  that  thy  might  con- 
tinue to  preach  Christ  to  the  people  as  they  had  done. 
As  an  assurance  that  their  prayers  were  heard  and 
their  petitions  granted,  the  place  where  they  met  was 
shaken  by  a  great  earthquake,  and  all  received  a 
fresh  impact  of  spiritual  power.  The  apostles  were 
not  the  least  intimidated.  They  went  on  preaching 
the  Gospel  with  great  boldness.  The  entire  congrega- 
tion grew  in  grace  and  spirituality.  The  enthusiasm 
of  the  devotees  of  the  new  faith  was  boundless  and 
was  manifested  in  many  ways.  They  were  of  one 
heart  and  soul,  and  in  this  particular  the  church  in 
Jerusalem  furnished  an  example  for  all  congregations 
and  for  all  time. 


The  Church  Founded  33 

No  one  regarded  his  property  as  his  own  exclu- 
sively, if  others  were  in  need  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 
No  one  suffered  through  lack  of  attention.  Those 
who  had  more  laud  than  was  necessary  sold  their  sur- 
plus and  brought  the  money  to  the  apostles  to  be 
used  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  and  distribution  was 
made  according  to  the  needs  of  the  people.  This  ar- 
rangement was  not  socialism  as  many  believe.  No 
equal  distribution  was  made.  Only  the  needy  re- 
ceived assistance,  and  they  only  to  the  extent  of  their 
need. 

The  inauguration  of  this  practice  of  caring  for  the 
poor  of  the  church  was  the  means  of  introducing  to 
the  world  one  of  the  greatest  among  the  early  preach- 
ers of  the  Christian  faith.  A  young  man  of  the  tribe 
of  Levi,  Joseph  by  name,  to  whom  admiring  friends 
gave  the  name  of  Barnabas,  meaning  Son  of  Exhorta- 
tion, owned  a  tract  of  land.  Seeing  the  distress  of 
the  needy  members  of  the  church,  he  sold  the  land 
and  donated  the  proceeds  to  them  to  aid  them  in  pro- 
curing the  necessaries  of  life.  He  brought  the  money 
and  laid  it  at  the  apostles'  feet.  The  prominence 
that  he  afterwards  attained  in  the  work  of  the  church 
doubtless  prompted  Luke,  who  wrote  many  years 
after  these  events  transpired,  to  introduce  Barnabas 
by  mentioning  this  one  incident  in  his  earlier  life. 
The  law  of  Moses  had  made  sufQcient  provision  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  Levites,  but  at  the  time  of 
Barnabas  the  law  was  not  observed  in  all  of  its  pre- 
cepts. The  restoration  from  the  Babylonian  captiv- 
ity was  never  complete.  Israel  was  never  fully  re- 
organized. From  the  days  of  the  restoration  from 
Babylon,  or  soon  after  that  date,  the  Levites  had  been 


34  Paul  the  Apostle 

compelled  to  support  themselves  as  did  the  other 
tribes.  Barnabas  had  either  inherited  or  accumulated 
this  piece  of  property,  and  in  either  case  he  had  the 
right  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  saw  fit. 

The  next  fact  to  be  noted  is  almost  a  reflection 
upon  the  human  race,  and  is  in  strong  contrast  with 
the  liberality  and  unselfishness  shown  by  the  Levite. 
He  and  many  others  had  been  justly  and  properly 
honoured  by  the  church  on  account  of  their  benevolent 
spirit.  This  merited  applause  aroused  the  desire  of 
two  other  members  of  the  church  to  receive  similar 
honour.  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  his  wife,  owned  some 
land  and,  like  Barnabas,  they  sold  it.  They  had 
previously  agreed  that  they  would  give  only  a  part 
of  the  money  to  the  poor,  and  that  they  would  try  to 
make  the  church  believe  that  they  had  given  all. 
They  wanted  the  honour  but  were  not  willing  to 
make  the  sacrifice.  One  day  while  church  was  as- 
sembled for  worship  at  the  place  of  meeting  in  the 
temple  court,  and  Peter  was  leading  the  service, 
Ananias  walked  deliberately  to  the  front  carrying 
the  money  in  his  hand,  and  with  much  pomp  and 
pretense  laid  it  at  the  apostles'  feet.  Outwardly  he 
had  acted  his  part  well,  and  no  doubt  he  expected  to 
receive  great  praise  for  his  generosity.  The  church 
had  honoured  Barnabas,  and  why  not  applaud  Ana- 
nias? After  depositing  the  money  he  stood  before 
the  apostle  with  apparent  reverence,  waiting  for  him 
to  speak  the  expected  words  of  commendation.  Peter 
spoke  but  not  to  commend.  The  robe  of  apparent 
righteousness  was  not  thick  enough  to  hide  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  heart  of  the  hypocrite.  Peter  saw  through 
him  and  knew  his  motive,  and  thus  addressed  him  : 


The  Church  Founded  35 

"  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  lie  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price 
of  the  land  ?  While  it  remained,  did  it  not  remain 
thine  own  ?  and  after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  within 
thy  power  ?  How  is  it  that  thou  hast  conceived  this 
thing  in  thy  heart?  thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but 
unto  God."  At  the  conclusion  of  this  brief  speech 
Ananias  fell  to  the  floor  and  instantly  died.  This 
tragic  event  was  a  stunning  surprise  to  all  present 
but  it  did  not  interfere  with  the  service.  Some  young 
men  in  the  congregation  arose,  wound  the  body  in  a 
sheet,  and  carried  it  out  and  buried  it,  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  temple. 

Ananias  was  buried  without  his  wife's  knowledge 
of  his  death,  and  three  hours  afterwards  his  widow, 
but  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  she  was  a  widow,  came 
into  the  assembly  of  worshippers.  She  did  not  have 
time  to  be  seated  before  Peter  asked  her  if  it  was  true 
that  they  sold  the  land  for  so  much,  and  she  replied 
that  it  was  true.  Then  Peter  said  :  ' '  How  is  it  that 
ye  have  agreed  together  to  try  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ? 
behold,  the  feet  of  them  that  have  buried  thy  husband 
are  at  the  door,  and  they  shall  carry  thee  out."  She 
instantly  fell  down  and  died.  The  young  men  who 
had  buried  her  husband  were  returning  to  the  temple 
after  having  performed  that  duty,  and  as  they  entered 
the  door  they  saw  her  dead  body  lyiug  on  the  floor, 
and  in  obedience  to  a  command  from  Peter  they  took 
up  her  dishonoured  remains  and  bore  them  out  and 
laid  them  by  the  side  of  those  of  her  husband. 

The  entire  church  was  appalled.  The  couple  had 
sinned  grossly.  They  had  not  been  compelled  to  sell 
the  land  at  all,  and  after  it  was  sold,  they  were 


36  Paul  the  Apostle 

not  required  to  bring  the  mouey  to  the  apostles. 
Their  sin  was  wanting  the  honour  of  giving  all  when 
they  were  willing  to  give  only  a  part.  Their  punish- 
ment was  just,  and  it  showed  to  all  that  God  could 
read  the  secrets  of  their  hearts.  The  church  moved 
forward  with  a  new  impulse  to  holy  living  and  the 
membership  increased  rapidly.  Great  excitement 
prevailed  throughout  the  entire  city.  The  sick  were 
carried  into  the  streets  and  laid  on  mats  in  order  that 
Peter's  shadow  might  fall  upon  them  as  he  passed 
and  heal  them.  The  report  spread  abroad  from  the 
city,  and  many  sick  people  from  the  towns  and  sur- 
rounding country  were  brought  in  and  were  healed. 

The  death  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  was  followed 
by  a  great  revival  in  the  church.  Many  miracles  of 
healing  were  wrought.  These  cures  once  more  aroused 
the  resentment  of  the  high  priest  and  his  supporters. 
They  were  of  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees.  They  caused 
the  apostles  to  be  arrested  again  and  thrown  into 
prison.  The  high  priest  expected  to  bring  them  to 
trial  on  the  following  day,  but  an  unexpected  event 
occurred  that  served  to  prevent  it.  In  the  silent  hours 
of  the  night  when  deep  sleep  had  fallen  upon  the  city, 
an  angel  of  Jehovah  came  and  opened  the  door  of  the 
prison  and  led  them  out  and  said  to  them,  "Go  ye 
and  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  all  the  words  of 
this  life."  In  obedience  to  this  direction,  the  apostles 
went  to  the  temple  about  the  break  of  day  and  re- 
sumed the  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  of  salvation. 

Later  in  the  morning  the  Sanhedrin  met  to  consider 
the  apostles.  An  orderly  was  sent  to  bring  the 
prisoners  to  court  for  trial.  He  went  after  them  but 
soon  returned  and  made  the  following  report :  "  The 


The  Church  Founded  37 

prison-honse  we  found  shut  in  all  safety,  and  the 
keepers  standing  at  the  doors  ;  but  when  we  opened 
the  door  we  found  no  man  within."  This  report  made 
no  small  stir  in  the  assembly.  The  consternation  of 
the  grave  Sanhedrists  can  be  easily  imagined.  How 
could  the  wonder  of  the  absence  of  the  apostles  be  ex- 
plained ?  The  only  thought  that  seemed  to  give  the 
high  priest  and  his  associates  any  concern  was  the 
wonder  to  what  proportions  these  demonstrations  and 
this  new  religion  would  grow. 

In  the  midst  of  their  perplexity  they  were  further 
astonished.  Some  one  came  in  haste  from  the  temple 
and  said,  ''The  men  whom  ye  put  in  prison  are  in 
the  temple  standing  and  teaching  the  people."  Upon 
receiving  this  information  the  officer  who  had  charge 
of  the  soldiers  that  guarded  the  temple  went  and 
brought  the  apostles  into  the  presence  of  the  council. 
He  treated  them  with  kindness.  The  apostles  had 
many  friends  in  the  city  and  the  officers  feared  an 
uprising.  Harsh  treatment  of  them  would  have 
aroused  a  mob,  and  the  officers  would  have  fared 
badly  at  the  hands  of  the  enraged  populace.  The 
apostles  took  their  seats  in  silence  and  calmly  awaited 
the  pleasure  of  the  high  priest.  This  dignitary  thus 
addressed  them:  "We  strictly  charged  you  not  to 
teach  in  this  name  :  and  behold  ye  have  filled  all 
Jerusalem  with  your  teaching,  and  intend  to  bring 
this  man's  blood  upon  us." 

The  high  priest  had  apparently  forgotten  the  time 
when  some  of  his  own  party,  in  urging  the  crucifixion 
of  Jesus,  said,  ''  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  our  chil- 
dren." Now  they  shudder  at  the  thought  of  having 
the  blood  of  Christ  upon  themselves.     The  answer 


38  Paul  the  Apostle 

that  Peter  made  was  worthy  the  man  and  the  occa- 
sion :  "  We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men.  The 
God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus  whom  ye  slew, 
hanging  him  on  a  tree.  Him  did  God  exalt  with  his 
right  hand  to  be  a  prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  re- 
pentance to  Israel  aud  remission  of  sins.  And  we 
are  witnesses  of  these  things ;  and  so  is  the  Holy 
Spirit,  whom  God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey 
him. "  This  stubborn  defiance  increased  the  rage  of 
the  council,  and  the  first  impulse  was  to  put  the 
apostles  to  death  without  further  delay.  This  would 
have  been  done  had  it  not  been  for  one  cool-headed 
man  whose  influence  prevented  it.  This  was  none 
other  than  the  great  and  wise  Gamaliel  who  has  been 
mentioned  heretofore  as  the  teacher  of  Saul  of  Tar- 
sus. He  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  people,  and 
this  exalted  standing  gave  him  a  ready  hearing. 
With  permission  of  the  high  priest  he  arose  to  speak, 
but  before  he  gave  his  advice  in  the  case  he  made 
the  request  that  the  prisoners  be  taken  from  the 
room.  They  were  accordingly  taken  out  of  hearing 
and  Gamaliel  addressed  the  assembly  as  follows : 
'*  Ye  men  of  Israel,  take  heed  to  yom^selves  as  touch- 
ing these  men,  what  ye  are  about  to  do.  For  before 
these  days  rose  up  Theudas,  giving  out  himself  to  be 
somebody  ;  to  whom  a  number  of  men,  about  four 
hundred,  joined  themselves :  who  was  slain  :  and  all, 
as  many  as  obeyed  him,  were  dispersed,  and  came  to 
naught.  After  this  man  rose  up  Judas,  of  Galilee, 
in  the  days  of  the  enrollment,  and  drew  away  some 
of  the  people  after  him  ;  and  all,  as  many  as  obeyed 
him,  were  scattered  abroad.  And  now  I  say  unto 
you,  Eefrain  from  these  men  and  let  them  alone  :  for, 


The  Church  Founded  39 

if  this  council  or  this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  be 
overthrown  :  but,  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  will  never  be 
able  to  overthrow  it ;  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to 
be  fighting  against  God  "(Acts  v.  35-39). 

This  is  a  model  speech  and  shows  the  good  sense  of 
the  man  who  made  it.  The  work  of  Theudas  and 
JiiJas  came  to  naught;  they  were  fanatics  whose 
causes  died  with  them.  Gamaliel's  advice  was  to 
let  these  men  alone.  If  they  were  not  true  men  and 
advocating  the  truth,  they  would  run  their  course 
and  be  forgotten  ;  but,  if  they  were  doing  the  work 
of  God,  they  would  succeed,  notwithstanding  the 
efforts  of  men  to  stop  them.  This  wise  and  good  ad- 
vice cooled  the  anger  of  the  council  and  recalled  their 
judgment  that  had  fled  away.  Upon  reflection  they 
agreed  with  Gamaliel.  They  could  see  the  wisdom 
of  his  words.  Order  was  restored.  The  apostles 
were  brought  into  the  assembly  again  and  were  bru- 
tally beaten.  It  is  not  probable  that  Gamaliel  ap- 
proved this  cruelty.  After  receiving  this  beating 
the  apostles  were  charged  to  speak  no  more  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  were  set  at  liberty.  They  went 
out  rejoicing  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer 
pain  and  dishonour  for  the  name  of  Jesus.  The 
charge  that  they  should  preach  Christ  no  more  was 
nobly  ignored.  In  the  face  of  all  this  opposition  and 
all  the  threats  made  against  them,  they  fearlessly 
proclaimed  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  Moral 
courage  could  not  rise  higher.  Peter  and  John  were 
among  the  bravest  of  the  brave. 

Luke,  the  author  of  Acts,  now  turns  from  the  ex- 
ternal opposition  encountered  by  the  church  at  the 
hands  of  the  Jews  to  give  some  information  concern- 


40  Paul  the  Apostle 

ing  the  internal  condition  of  things.  In  the  member- 
ship of  the  congregation  there  were  two  elements,  the 
native  Jews  of  Palestine  and  the  foreign  born  Jews 
called  Hellenists  or  Grecians.  We  have  alluded 
heietofore  to  the  plan  that  the  church  adopted  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  widows  who  were  unable  to  sup- 
port themselves  and  had  no  children  to  care  for  them. 
They  received  assistance  from  the  congregation. 
This  relief  was  distributed  every  day.  This  system- 
atic way  of  providing  for  the  poor  widows,  good  and 
benevolent  as  it  was,  led  to  the  first  discord  that  ever 
disturbed  the  church.  The  Hellenistic  element  be- 
came dissatisfied  with  the  distribution  of  supplies 
and  made  complaint  against  the  native  Jews,  accus- 
ing them  of  unfairness.  They  claimed  that  the 
widows  of  foreign  birth  had  been  neglected  by  those 
who  had  charge  of  the  daily  distribution.  This  was 
indeed  a  serious  accusation  to  make  against  honest 
men.  The  apostles  were  the  leaders  in  the  church 
and  responsible  for  its  management.  The  complaint 
was  a  reflection  on  their  honesty. 

The  Twelve  called  a  meeting  of  the  church  to  in- 
vestigate the  charge,  and  if  the  allegation  should  be 
sustained  by  the  facts  developed,  to  correct  the  evil. 
The  apostles  had  just  ground  to  feel  aggrieved. 
They  had  done  their  best,  and  it  was  unpleasant  to 
be  accused  of  partiality.  They  did  not  resign  their 
leadership  in  the  church  but  they  refused  to  be  re- 
sponsible any  longer  for  the  daily  apportionment  of 
food  for  the  poor.  They  said  to  the  church  assem- 
bled that  it  was  not  proper  for  them  to  neglect  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  in  order  to  supply  food  for  a  few 
people.     Giving  aid  to  the  poor  was  necessary,  but 


The  Church  Founded  41 

others  could  attend  to  that  as  well  as  the  apostles 
could.  They  suggested  to  the  church  to  select  seven 
good,  wise,  aud  reliable  men  and  place  them  in 
charge  of  the  fuud  for  the  relief  of  the  poor.  The 
church  acted  on  this  advice  aud  the  men  were  se- 
lected. 

By  reading  the  names  of  the  men  chosen  to  dis- 
charge this  important  trust  we  see  that  all  of  them 
bore  Greek  names,  aud  this  is  a  strong  indication 
that  they  were  chosen  from  among  those  who  had 
objected  to  the  way  the  apostles  had  managed  the 
daily  distribution.  This  shows  the  broad-minded 
generosity  of  the  Twelve.  By  this  act  they  virtually 
said  :  "You  think  that  we  have  not  accorded  fair 
treatment  to  your  widows,  aud  to  show  you  our  sin- 
cerity and  also  the  full  coufideuce  we  have  in  your  im- 
partiality, we  are  willing  to  trust  our  widows  to  your 
care. "  This  noble  act  of  concession  to  the  minority 
peacefully  settled  the  first  disturbance  that  ever  arose 
in  the  church. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  troubles  sometimes  arise  in 
the  churches.  These  troubles  show  how  weak  Chris- 
tian people  are  ;  but  when  all  the  churches  reach  the 
high  plane  of  Christian  living  occupied  by  the  church 
in  Jerusalem,  all  such  disturbances  can  be  easily  aud 
properly  adjusted.  As  soon  as  the  murmur  from  the 
minority  was  heard,  the  majority  made  concessions 
that  fully  satisfied  them,  and  the  harmony  of  the 
church  was  restored.  It  was  the  larger  element  that 
saved  the  church  from  strife  and  furnished  an  ex- 
ample to  the  churches  for  all  time.  It  is  not  to  be 
accepted  as  true  that  the  minority  is  always  in  the 
right  or  that  the  majority  should  always  make  con- 


42  Paul  the  Apostle 

cessioDS,  but  the  same  kind  of  generosity  sLown  here 
by  the  apostles  will  find  a  way  to  settle  all  troubles. 

The  seven  men  chosen  were  all  of  high  character 
and  good  standing.  Two  of  them  at  least  became 
powerful  preachers  of  the  Gospel.  These  were 
Stephen  and  Philip.  We  know  something  of  their 
labours.  However,  the  silence  of  the  record  must 
not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  the  other  five  were  not 
useful  men  in  the  church.  The  Book  of  Acts  is  not 
a  complete  history  of  the  church  during  the  period  it 
covers.  It  was  never  intended  to  be  such.  Only  a 
few  facts  are  given  concerning  Stephen  and  Philip, 
and  nothing  in  regard  to  the  other  five.  Stephen 
was  the  first  man  to  give  his  life  as  a  sacrifice  on  the 
altar  of  Christ.  Philip  lived  to  be  an  old  man,  and 
many  years  after  the  death  of  Stephen  he  was  living 
in  comfortable  circumstances  in  the  city  of  Csesarea, 
and  tendered  the  hospitality  of  his  home  to  Paul  and 
his  companions  when  the  apostle  was  on  his  way  to 
Jerusalem  for  the  last  time. 


m 

THE  DEATH  OF  STEPHEN  AND  THE  DIS- 
PEESION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

THE  synagogue  as  au  institution  among  the 
Jews  was  not  of  divine  appointment.  It 
was  not  provided  by  the  law  of  Moses,  but 
was  an  expedient  that  resulted  from  the  destruction 
of  the  temple  and  the  downfall  of  the  Jewish  nation. 
Deprived  of  the  privilege  of  the  temple  service,  the 
people  felt  the  need  of  a  place  to  worship  God  and 
study  the  Scriptures  together.  The  synagogue  re- 
sulted. When  the  nation  had  been  sufficiently  re- 
stored to  have  the  temple  service  resumed,  the  syna- 
gogue remained.  In  the  New  Testament  period 
almost  every  village  had  its  synagogue,  and  in  many 
of  the  cities  they  existed  in  large  numbers.  It  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  for  the  reason  that 
it  did  not  exist  till  after  the  close  of  the  period  cov- 
ered by  that  portion  of  the  Bible. 

There  were  many  synagogues  in  the  city  of  Je- 
rusalem. The  number  has  been  estimated  as  high 
as  four  hundred  and  eighty.  The  city  was  large, 
and  Jews  in  large  numbers  and  from  many  lands 
had  gone  thither  to  reside.  When  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  people  from  the  same  country  to  constitute 
a  synagogue  became  acquainted  with  each  other,  a 
congregation  was  formed  and  a  meeting  place  pro- 
vided.    There  was  one  synagogue  whose  members 

43 


44  Paul  the  Apostle 

stood  aloof  from,  the  others.  It  was  composed  of 
liberated  slaves  and  was  known  as  the  synagogue 
of  the  libertines.  It  is  difficult  for  ex-slaves  to 
gain  social  recognition  from  the  higher  classes  of 
society,  but  they  can  be  a  very  congenial  band 
among  themselves.  For  these  reasons  the  people  of 
this  class  had  a  congregation  and  a  meeting  place 
of  their  own.  They  would  naturally  have  a  fellow- 
feeling  for  each  other.  They  could  be  happier  to 
themselves.  The  Alexandrians,  the  Cyrenians,  the 
Cilicians,  and  Jews  from  proconsular  Asia,  each 
class  bound  together  by  ties  of  natural  sympathy  and 
esteem,  constituted  a  synagogue.  Saul  having  come 
from  the  province  of  Cilicia,  was  a  member  of  the 
Cilician  synagogue. 

Each  of  these  bands  had  its  own  organization 
and  government.  When  Stephen,  full  of  grace  and 
power,  began  an  aggressive  campaign  in  the  city,  he 
encountered  the  opposition  of  all  the  Jews.  While 
these  various  synagogues  had  their  small  differences 
among  themselves,  they  united  to  oppose  the  progress 
of  Christianity.  Stephen  held  many  discussions  with 
men  who  were  put  forward  by  these  different  syna- 
gogues. He  more  than  held  his  own  in  these  con- 
tests. "They  were  not  able  to  withstand  the  wisdom 
and  spirit  by  which  he  spoke."  He  spoke  the  wis- 
dom of  God  and  was  guided  by  the  Spirit. 

Beaten  in  public  discussion  and  driven  from  the 
field  of  argument,  the  Jews  were  not  willing  to  re- 
linquish the  victory  and  quit  the  contest.  They  re- 
sorted to  desperate  means  to  support  their  tottering 
cause.  They  had  but  one  ray  of  hope,  and  that  was 
to    find  some  accusation  under  which  they  could 


Death  of  Stephen  45 

bring  Stephen  before  the  administrators  of  the  law 
and  convict  him  and  punish  him  as  a  criminal.  He 
could  be  thus  arraigned  only  through  deception  and 
fraud.  It  is  probable  that  they  employed  men  to  act 
the  part  of  spies  or  detectives  who  listened  to  his 
teaching  and  reported  anything  that  he  said  which 
could  in  any  way  be  misconstrued  and  used  as  testi- 
mony against  him.  When  the  Jews  thought  that 
they  had  worked  up  a  strong  case,  they  had  Stephen 
arrested  and  brought  before  the  Sauhedrin  for  trial. 
The  case  was  stated  as  it  had  been  made  out,  and 
purchased  testimony  was  given  by  false  witnesses. 
The  charge  reads  thus  :  ' '  This  man  ceaseth  not  to 
speak  words  against  this  holy  place  and  the  law  ;  for 
we  have  heard  him  say  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  shall 
destroy  this  holy  place  and  shall  change  the  customs 
which  Moses  delivered  unto  us."  This  charge  was 
false  in  some  points  and  true  in  others.  The  religion 
of  Christ  was  intended  to  abolish  the  entire  religious 
system  of  the  Jews,  and  in  that  respect  it  was  revo- 
lutionary in  its  teaching  and  purpose.  Eeligion 
under  Christ  was  to  become  world-wide  rather  than 
national  as  under  Moses. 

Those  who  sat  in  the  council  saw  the  naturally 
handsome  features  of  the  prisoner  illuminated  with  a 
heavenly  radiance  as  was  the  face  of  Moses  when  he 
came  from  the  presence  of  God.  It  was  a  memo- 
rable scene.  The  grave  Sanhedrists,  most  of  them  old 
men  with  flowing  white  beards  and  Stephen  with  the 
vigour  of  youth  still  glowing  within  him,  furnished  a 
scene  for  the  painter.  As  the  young  evangelist  faced 
that  august  body,  Jonathan,  the  high  priest  and  pre- 
siding officer,  asked  him  the  formal  question,  ''Are 


46  Paul  the  Apostle 

these  things  so?"  A.  modern  judge  would  have 
asked,  *'  Do  you  plead  guilty  or  not  guilty?" 

Stephen,  knowing  that  the  supreme  moment  of  his 
life  had  come,  made  the  supreme  effort  of  his  life  iu 
reply.  Instead  of  making  a  direct  answer  to  the 
question  asked  by  the  high  priest,  Stephen  began  a 
speech  in  his  own  defense,  which  he  was  not  destined 
to  finish.  It  was  a  masterpiece  of  eloquence,  and  the 
Christian  world  must  needs  regret  that  it  was  never 
completed.  The  real  art  of  the  speaker  is  seen  in 
the  perfect  order  in  arranging  the  historic  matter 
that  he  used  as  the  foundation  of  his  address.  The 
speech  is  found  iu  Acts  vii.  1-57. 

The  first  eight  verses  of  the  chapter  are  devoted  to 
the  introduction  of  a  line  of  events  that  he  expected 
to  trace.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  he  was  standing 
before  a  body  of  men  every  one  of  whom  was  well 
versed  in  the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation.  All 
Jewish  history  was  sacred.  To  give  the  history  of 
the  nation  was  to  give  the  history  of  the  religion  of 
the  nation.  It  was  religion  that  made  the  nation 
historic.  Had  it  not  been  for  religion  the  Jewish 
people  would  have  attained  but  little  prominence  in 
the  world,  and  their  place  in  history  would  have  been 
small  and  obscure.  To  recount  the  most  prominent 
events  in  their  history  was  to  appeal  to  the  Jews 
through  the  two  avenues  of  patriotism  and  religion. 
Stephen  began  his  address  by  giving  an  account  of 
the  origin  of  the  Hebrew  people.  We  shall  notice  it 
in  brief  outline. 

As  the  nation  began  with  Abram  the  speaker  began 
his  defense  by  referring  to  the  call  that  the  patriarch 
received  from  God  to  go  to  the  land  of  Canaan  and 


Death  of  Stephen  47 

begin  life  anew  and  under  better  conditions.  On  re- 
ceiving this  call,  Abrani  journeyed  eight  hundred 
miles  up  the  Euphrates  River  in  a  northwestern 
direction,  and  for  a  time  resided  in  Haran'on  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  that  stream.  He  went  that  way  to 
avoid  the  vast  desert  that  lay  between  his  native  laud 
and  the  land  to  which  he  had  started.  It  is  very 
probable  that  the  age  and  infirmity  of  Terah,  his 
father,  made  it  necessary  for  Abram  to  stop  on  the 
way  ;  hence  his  residence  in  Haran. 

The  taper  of  Terah' s  life  burned  out  in  Haran, 
after  which  Abram  turned  towards  the  southwest 
and  journeyed  six  hundred  miles  to  his  first  home  in 
Canaan.  In  this  land  his  name  was  changed  to 
Abraham.  Here  Jehovah  renewed  His  covenant 
with  him,  promised  the  laud  to  his  posterity,  pre- 
dicted the  Egyptian  bondage  and  also  the  deliverance 
from  it,  and  established  the  ordinance  of  circumcision. 

The  birth  of  Isaac  and  Jacob  is  next  mentioned. 
Such  a  recital  of  events  was  sure  to  hold  the  attention 
of  the  members  of  the  Sauhedrin,  but  they  could  not 
see  any  connection  between  these  events  and  the 
charges  made  against  the  speaker.  The  wisdom  of 
Stephen  is  seen  in  his  endeavour  to  gain  their  good 
will  before  he  applied  these  facts  and  others  that 
were  to  follow  to  himself. 

The  next  one  of  the  patriarchs  noticed  by  the 
speaker  is  Joseph.  Many  events  are  mentioned  in 
this  paragraph  :  the  sale  of  Joseph  to  the  Ishmaelites 
who,  in  turn,  sold  him  to  an  Egyptian,  his  promotion 
to  honour  and  authority  by  the  king  of  Egypt,  the 
famine  that  fell  upon  the  laud  of  Canaan,  the  journey 
of  the  sons  of  Jacob  to  the  Nile  Valley  to  purchase 


48  Paul  the  Apostle 

grain,  the  second  journey  to  the  same  place  for  the 
same  purpose,  the  revelation  of  Joseph's  identity  to 
his  astonished  brethren,  the  removal  of  Jacob  and  his 
family  to  Egypt  where  he  died  seventeen  years  later 
at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  forty -seven  years,  his 
burial  in  the  ancestral  necropolis  in  the  land  of 
Canaan, — all  this  was  but  a  review  of  a  few  events 
that  occurred  in  the  glorious  days  of  their  early 
history.  The  grave  Sanhedrists  listened  with  respect- 
ful silence  and  encouraging  sympathy  to  these  thrill- 
ing statements. 

There  is  a  difference  between  the  record  in  Genesis 
and  the  statement  of  Stephen  in  regard  to  the  place 
of  Jacob's  burial.  It  was  Jacob  who  bought  the  land 
at  Shechem  and  Abraham  who  purchased  the  Cave 
of  Machpelah  at  Hebron.  According  to  Genesis 
Jacob  was  buried  in  the  cave  at  Hebron,  yet  Stephen 
says  that  he  was  buried  in  Shechem.  This  is  a  strange 
discrepancy.  How  can  it  be  explained  1  Knowing 
the  other  facts  as  thoroughly  as  Stephen  did,  it  is 
incredible  that  he  could  have  been  ignorant  of  these. 
The  only  explanation  is  that  the  text  of  Stephen's 
speech  has  been  corrupted  in  this  place  by  some  one 
who  copied  the  speech  at  a  later  date.  The  state- 
ment as  it  stands,  however,  does  no  harm  to  the  text. 
The  mistake  in  history  can  be  corrected  by  the  history 
itself.  In  this  division  of  the  discourse,  the  cruel 
sale  of  Joseph  by  his  brothers  is  seen  in  contrast  with 
the  salvation  of  the  nation  from  death  by  famine, 
which  resulted  from  it.  We  can  now  begin  to  see  the 
use  that  Stephen  expected  to  make  of  these  facts,  but 
his  hearers  were  still  in  the  dark  as  to  his  purpose. 

Glowing  with  intense  enthusiasm,  the  speaker  pro- 


Death  of  Stephen  49 

ceeds  to  discuss  the  career  of  Moses.  He  speaks  of 
Lis  birth,  his  escape  from  death  as  an  infant,  his  life  in 
the  palace  of  the  king,  his  ci'iuie  and  flight,  his  stay 
in  the  laud  of  Midian,  his  marriage  and  his  family. 
After  the  efforts  of  Moses  to  lead  the  Israelites  oat  of 
Egypt  had  been  ungratefully  rejected,  the  nation  was 
glad  to  welcome  him  as  their  deliverer.  The  speaker 
continues.  He  speaks  of  the  call  that  came  to  Moses 
at  the  burning  bush,  and  his  commission  to  lead  Israel 
to  liberty.  Stephen's  hearers  are  reminded  of  the 
way  God  used  the  man  that  the  oppressed  nation  re- 
jected in  the  interest  of  the  nation. 

When  Moses  killed  the  Egyptian  and  hid  him  in 
the  sand,  he  thought  that  the  people  would  under- 
stand that  the  time  had  come  for  the  exodus  of  the 
nation  and  that  he  was  to  be  their  leader,  but  instead 
of  accepting  him  as  their  leader  and  following  hira 
out  of  the  country,  they  regarded  him  as  an  unworthy 
man  and  a  murderer.  Forty  years  later  God  selected 
him  for  the  same  service  for  which  his  people  had 
rejected  hira.  Moses  was  a  great  prophet,  yet  he 
predicted  the  coming  of  one  who  should  be  greater. 
The  Jews  were  guilty  of  gross  ill  treatment  of  Moses 
when  they  refused  to  acknowledge  him  as  their  ruler 
and  judge,  but  their  conduct  towards  him  forty  years 
later,  after  he  had  led  them  out  of  Egypt,  showed 
still  greater  ingratitude.  Proceeding  with  his  defense, 
Stephen  reminds  those  to  whom  he  spoke  of  the  rep- 
rehensible conduct  of  their  fathers  as  seen  in  their 
further  treatment  of  Moses. 

They  rejected  him  in  the  wilderness  and  longed  for 
the  land  of  Egypt  with  its  flesh  pots,  its  onions,  and 
its  garlic  ;  they  lapsed  into  idolatry  and  made  gods 


^o  Paul  the  Apostle 

to  go  before  tliein  ;  tliey  engaged  in  idolatrous  orgies 
arouud  a  golden  calf.  This  last  sin  was  the  greater 
because  of  the  positive  knowledge  they  had  that  God 
was  in  their  midst.  In  verses  42,  43,  there  is  a  quota- 
tion from  the  prophet  Amos  in  which  is  cleaily  fore- 
told the  final  rejection  of  the  chosen  people. 

Stephen  continues  by  making  reference  to  the 
tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  and  also  to  the  temple 
that  was  erected  at  a  later  period.  He  had  been  ac- 
cused of  blasphemy  against  the  temple.  This  he 
neither  admits  nor  denies.  Proceeding  with  his 
argument,  he  tells  them  what  the  true  value  of  the 
temple  was.  The  tabernacle  was  movable  and  per- 
ishable. This  was  followed  by  a  splendid  and  costly 
temple,  which  was  also  destined  to  be  destroyed. 
**  The  Most  High  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands."  No  temple  erected  by  man  could  be  the  real 
dwelling  place  of  God.  Such  a  temple  would  serve  a 
few  generations  as  a  place  of  worship  and  then  tumble 
into  ruins.  The  temple  being  a  temporary  structure, 
there  could  be  no  blasphemy  in  saying  that  it  would 
be  destroyed  and  its  function  cease. 

In  verses  51-63,  the  application  thus  far  concealed 
with  great  care  is  made  known.  Joseph,  whom  God 
had  selected  to  save  the  lives  of  his  brothers  and 
their  families,  had  previously  been  sold  by  them  into 
cruel  slavery.  All  the  prophets  had  been  maltreated 
grossly  by  the  very  nation  in  whose  interests  they 
laboured.  Now  the  greatest  Prophet  had  come  bring- 
ing God's  latest  and  greatest  message  to  mankind, 
and  had  been  wickedly  murdered  by  the  descendants 
of  those  who  had  treated  the  former  prophets  with 
brutal  cruelty  and  gross  ingratitude. 


Death  of  Stephen  5 1 

Stephen  could  not  control  his  feelings  longer.  In 
this  connection  a  brilliant  writer  remarks :  *'  It 
was,  I  think,  something  in  the  aspect  of  his  audience — 
some  sudden  conviction  that  to  such  invincible  obsti- 
nacy his  words  were  addressed  in  vain — which  made 
him  suddenly  stoj)  short  in  his  review  of  history,  and 
hurl  into  their  faces  the  gathered  thunder  of  his  wrath 
and  scorn."  ^  "  Ye  stiff  necked  and  uncircumcised  in 
heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  ;  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye.  Which 
of  the  prophets  did  not  your  fathers  persecute  ?  and 
they  killed  them  who  showed  before  the  coming  of  the 
Righteous  One  :  of  whom  ye  have  been  the  betrayers 
and  murderers  ;  ye  who  received  the  law  ordained  by 
angels  and  have  not  kept  it. " 

These  are  burning  words,  and  their  effect  was  elec- 
tric. All  order  was  suspended.  The  court  became  a 
mob  and  the  trial  a  murder.  They  were  cut  to  the 
heart  by  the  piercing  words  of  the  young  evangelist, 
and,  grinding  their  teeth  in  rage,  they  rushed  upon 
the  courageous  champion  of  the  Christian  faith,  de- 
termined to  take  his  life.  He  stood  his  ground  with- 
out flinching  and  bravely  looked  into  the  face  of 
death.  Lifting  his  eyes  towards  heaven,  the  vision  of 
the  glorified  Christ  burst  upon  him  in  all  the  fullness 
of  divine  splendour.  The  scene  was  too  inspiring  for 
him  to  withhold  from  his  murderers.  He  cried  out, 
"  I  see  the  heavens  opened  and  the  Sou  of  man  stand- 
ing on  the  right  hand  of  God."  As  one  man  they 
came.  They  dragged  him  outside  the  gate  of  the  city 
and  stoned  him  till  he  was  dead.  The  witnesses  who 
had  testified  against  him  hastily  threw  oflf  their  outer 

*  Farrar, 


52  Paul  the  Apostle 

garments,  leaving  them  in  the  care  of  a  young  man 
whose  name  was  Saul,  and  led  in  the  work  of  murder. 
As  they  began  to  hurl  stones  at  the  erect  body  of 
Stephen,  he  knew  that  his  time  had  come  to  die.  He 
called  upon  the  Lord  in  prayer  saying,  "  Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit."  Then  kneeling  down  upon  the 
ground,  he  prayed  for  his  murderers  saying,  "Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge."  Having  thus 
prayed  for  himself  and  his  murderers,  he  expired. 

This  man's  distinction  is  unique.  He  was  the  first 
person  in  the  world  to  give  up  his  life,  a  martyr  to 
Jesus  Christ.  A  great  multitude  that  no  man  could 
number  have  died  for  the  same  Christ  since  Stephen 
died,  and  in  doing  this  they  have  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of  this  worthy  pioneer  of  Christian  martyr- 
dom. His  loss  was  great  to  the  church,  but  his  death 
was  an  inspiration  to  the  living.  His  example  served 
to  strengthen  the  faith  of  the  disciples  in  view  of  the 
probability  of  similar  murder. 

In  connection  with  Stephen's  death,  we  see  the  dif- 
ference between  the  Jewish  dispensation  and  that  of 
Christ.  In  2  Chronicles  xxiv.  20-22  we  read  of  the 
death  of  Zechariah  who  was  a  prophet  of  God  and 
who  was  stoned  to  death  by  the  Jews  because  he  had 
rebuked  their  sins.  As  the  prophet  died  he  offered  a 
prayer  relative  to  his  murderers.  His  prayer  was  that 
God  would  take  vengeance  on  them  for  their  crime. 
Stephen,  the  New  Testament  prophet  and  representa- 
tive of  the  religion  of  Christ,  died  praying  that  God 
would  not  lay  the  sin  of  his  murder  to  the  charge  of 
his  murderers. 

How  can  we  account  for  the  difference  in  the  senti- 
ment of  these  two  prayers  ?    Was  Stephen  a  better 


Death  of  Stephen  53 

man  than  Zecliariah,  or  was  either  one  of  them  out  of 
harmony  with  the  religion  of  his  respective  time  ? 
The  solution  is  easy.  Zechariah  lived  and  died  under 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  that  law  was  stern  aud  merci- 
less. It  was  founded  on  justice  alone,  Stephen  lived 
aud  died  under  the  gospel  dispensation,  aud  the  Gos- 
pel temj)ers  justice  with  mercy.  Each  man  was  true 
to  his  religion.  Zechariah  acted  in  harmony  with 
the  law  and  Stephen  in  harmony  with  the  Gospel. 
Jesus,  when  He  was  crucified,  prayed  for  the  forgive- 
ness of  His  executioners  saying,  *'  Father,  forgive 
them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  When 
Stephen  died,  he  remembered  the  example  of  his 
Master  and  followed  it.  Had  he  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  Zechariah  and  prayed  for  the  punishment 
of  his  murderers,  he  would  have  shown  himself  to  be 
a  Jew  in  religion  rather  than  a  Christian.  Zechariah 
was  a  product  of  the  law  of  Moses,  and  Stephen  of 
the  Gospel  of  Christ. 


IV 

SAUL  CONVERTED 

**  fk  ND  Saul  was  consenting  unto  his  death." 
/  \      In  these  words  we  receive  our  introduction 

X  .^  to  the  young  man  from  Tarsus.  The  fore- 
going pages  have  been  written  in  preparation  for  the 
study  that  it  is  now  our  pleasure  to  begin.  Stephen's 
death  was  the  signal  for  an  onslaught  upon  the  church. 
A  relentless  persecution  broke  out  and  raged  with 
fury.  A  few  devout  men  bore  the  remains  of  Stephen 
to  the  tomb  and,  with  many  tears,  gave  them  Chris- 
tian burial.  Saul  soon  became  the  leader  of  the  per- 
secution. The  forces  opposed  to  the  church  found  in 
him  a  worthy  champion  of  their  unrighteous  cause. 
The  church  was  scattered.  Men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren fled  in  every  direction  to  escape  his  wrath.  Of 
the  many  thousand  disciples  who  composed  the 
church,  only  the  apostles  remained  in  the  city. 

This  persecution  was  a  great  evil,  but  at  least  one 
good  result  came  from  it.  God,  whose  power  can 
make  the  wrath  of  man  praise  Him,  exerted  that 
power  on  this  occasion.  The  final  instruction  given 
by  Jesus  to  the  apostles  just  before  He  ascended  to  His 
heavenly  throne  was  that  they  should  preach  the 
Gospel  to  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  The 
saving  health  of  the  Gospel  should  be  known  among 
the  nations,   and  the  task  of  the  church  will  not  be 

64 


Saul  Converted  55 

complete  till  the  glory  of  the  Lord  fills  the  earth  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea.  For  some  reason — or  was 
it  for  no  reason — the  apostles  made  no  effort  to  preach 
the  Gospel  beyond  tiie  walls  of  Jerusalem.  But  when 
this  persecution  came  and  the  church  was  scattered 
like  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  these  plain  disciples 
began  the  work  that  the  apostles  had  failed  to  do. 
They  went  forth  and  preached  the  Gospel  in  compli- 
ance with  the  last  command  of  the  risen  Saviour. 

The  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  chaptera  of  Acts  re- 
cord events  that  are  closely  connected  in  point  of  time. 
In  the  eighth  chapter  there  is  a  brief  account  of  the 
labours  of  Philip,  one  of  the  Seven.  He  was  a  man 
of  conviction  and  courage.  He  was  brave  enough  to 
disregard  the  prejudice  of  centuries,  and  carry  the 
message  of  salvation  to  the  despised  Samaritans. 
This  no  apostle  had  dared  to  do.  The  Samaritans  be- 
lieved Philip  as  he  preached  concerning  the  kingdom 
of  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  were  baptized 
in  large  numbers.  No  one  can  preach  Christ  fully 
and  not  preach  the  things  concerning  His  kingdom. 

Philip  was  directed  of  God  to  leave  the  city  in 
which  he  was  turning  many  to  righteousness  by  his 
preaching,  and  to  go  into  an  uninhabited  region  in 
southern  Canaan.  To  human  wisdom  this  appeared 
to  be  a  mistake.  Apparently,  there  was  no  reason 
for  leaving  a  populous  city  and  going  into  the  desert 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  Human  judgment  would  have 
directed  him  to  remain  where  the  multitudes  coald 
hear  the  word  of  life,  but  Philip  had  too  much  faith 
in  God  to  hesitate.  He  arose  and  went.  The  result 
of  his  going  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
sending  him.     On  the  hir^hway  he  overtook  a  way- 


V    ^6  Paul  the  Apostle 


faring  man  from  Ethiopia  and  brought  him  to  Christ. 
He  baptized  him  in  a  certain  water  by  the  roadside 
and  sent  him  on  his  way  to  his  distant  home,  rejoic- 
ing in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  This  convert 
to  the  Christian  faith  held  a  high  position  under  the 
queen  of  his  country,  having  charge  of  all  her  treas- 
ures. We  would  gladly  know  more  about  him  but 
nothing  more  is  told  us. 

On  parting  from  this  noted  man,  Philip  passed  to 
Azotas,  the  Ashdod  of  the  Old  Testament,  and 
preached  Christ  as  he  had  done  in  Samaria.  Turning 
northward,  he  preached  in  all  the  cities  in  the  coast 
plain  till  he  came  to  Coesarea  where  he  resided  in  his 
old  age.  With  this  glimpse  of  the  labours  of  Philip, 
we  turn  to  pursue  the  career  of  Saul  of  Tarsus. 

The  beauty  that  fades  from  the  mother's  face  reap- 
pears in  the  faces  of  her  children  ;  so  the  zeal  and 
consecration  of  Stephen  reappear  in  the  person  of  the 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  had 
Stephen  lived,  he  would  have  performed  a  similar 
service  for  Christ  and  the  church  to  that  rendered  by 
Saul.  Divine  wisdom  took  one  of  Stephen's  mur- 
derers and  put  him  into  Stephen's  place.  Saul  could 
hardly  have  been  what  he  was  if  he  had  not  witnessed 
the  death  agonies  of  the  first  martyr. 

The  church  in  Jerusalem  had  been  scattered  and 
Judea  had  been  terrorized.  Saul  was  relentless  in 
his  efforts  to  suppress  the  new  religion  and  utterly 
merciless  to  its  devotees.  Men,  women,  and  children, 
without  regard  to  age  or  condition,  were  thrown  into 
prison  and  led  out  to  death.  Not  satisfied  with  mak- 
ing havoc  of  the  church  in  Jerusalem,  the  flaming 
zeal  of  Saul  in  what  he  truly  believed  to  be  a  right- 


Saul  Converted  ^J 

eous  cause  led  Lim  to  long  for  other  fields  of  activity 
and  for  other  victories  over  the  adherents  to  the 
Christian  faith.  He  could  not  rest  as  long  as  there 
was  a  foe  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers  breathing  the 
breath  of  life.  He  comi)elled  the  Christians  to  blas- 
pheme their  Christ,  When  in  his  old  age  he  re- 
viewed those  days  of  cruelty  and  carnage,  he  said 
that,  in  his  early  manhood,  he  had  been  so  exceed- 
ingly mad  against  the  followers  of  Christ  that  he  had 
persecuted  them  even  unto  foreign  cities. 

Only  one  of  these  foreign  cities  is  mentioned  in 
Acts.  The  last  city  that  he  attempted  to  visit  in  his 
mad  career  was  Damascus,  and  on  the  way  to  that 
city  the  whole  current  of  his  life  was  changed.  Da- 
mascus is  said  to  be  the  oldest  city  on  the  globe.  It 
is  older  than  the  history  of  Abraham.  The  most 
trusted  servant  that  the  patriarch  owned  was  from 
that  city  (Gen.  xv.  2).  It  is  mentioned  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  only  military  campaign  in  which  Abra- 
ham participated.  Lot  and  his  family  were  carried 
away  as  captives  by  the  allied  armies  of  Chedorlaomer. 
One  who  had  escaped  from  the  enemy  brought  the 
news  to  Abraham  who  took  three  hundred  and  eight- 
een men,  his  own  servants,  and  pursued  the  retiring 
army.  He  overtook  the  army  and  engaged  it  in  bat- 
tle, defeated  it  and  pursued  the  fugitives  as  far  as 
Hobah  on  the  left  hand  of  Damascus  (Gen.  xiv.  15). 
The  city  is  located  in  a  fertile  spot  in  the  midst  of  a 
vast  desert.  The  oasis  is  formed  by  two  small 
streams  which  render  the  land  fruitful.  Viewed  from 
a  distance,  the  white  city,  gleaming  through  a  setting 
of  green,  presents  a  beautiful  and  pleasing  appear- 
ance.    It  is  not  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  ex- 


^8  Paul  the  Apostle 

cept  in  connection  with  the  conversion  of  Saul  of 
Tarsus. 

The  road  that  Saul  most  probably  travelled  leads 
northward  from  Jerusalem  and  passes  through  the  old 
city  of  Shechem,  and  thence,  bearing  to  the  right,  it 
enters  the  Jordan  valley  and  crosses  that  stream  over 
a  bridge  the  remains  of  which  still  stand  a  short  dis- 
tance south  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  Thence  the  road 
passes  across  the  desert  waste  to  Damascus.  This 
was  the  direct  route  from  Jerusalem  and  it  is  reason- 
ably certain  that  Saul  travelled  it. 

In  some  way  unknown  to  us  Saul  learned  that  there 
were  some  disciples  of  Christ  in  Damascus.  They 
had  gone  to  that  city  for  safety.  Saul  was  determined 
to  wreak  his  vengeance  on  them.  He  accordingly 
obtained  letters  from  the  high  priest  to  serve  to  intro- 
duce him  to  the  leading  Jews  of  Damascus  and  began 
his  journey  thither,  breathing  out  threateuings  and 
slaughter.  He  was  devoutly  honest  and  deeply  ear- 
nest. He  was  filled  with  that  which  he  siucei-ely  be- 
lieved to  be  a  righteous  zeal  for  the  truth.  He  never 
dreamed  that  he  was  uuconciously  fulfilling  the 
Master's  words,  ''He  that  killeth  you  thinketh  that 
he  offereth  service  unto  God. "  He  was  in  high  spirits 
and  buoyant  hopes  when  he  began  bis  journey. 
Those  who  composed  his  company  were,  like  himself, 
zealous  for  the  law  and  proud  to  serve  under  such  a 
leader. 

The  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles 
between  Jerusalem  and  Damascus  made  it  necessary 
for  Saul  to  spend  about  a  week  on  the  road.  This 
week  of  leisure  gave  him  ample  time  and  opportunity 
for  quiet  and  serious  reflection.     As  he  rode  along 


Saul  Converted  59 

the  weary  and  monotonous  way  he  had  time  to  com- 
mune with  his  own  thoughts  undisturbed.  He  must 
have  meditated  much  on  the  tenible  scenes  of  blood 
through  which  he  had  but  recently  passed  and  in 
which  he  had  been  the  chief  actor.  He  reflected  on 
the  sublime  faith  of  the  Christians  which  enabled 
them  to  meet  death  with  calm  resignation.  A  fresh 
vision  of  the  shining  face  of  Stephen  rose  before  him. 
He  beheld  the  heavenly  radiance  flashing  from  the 
murtyr's  features  and  again  he  heard  his  dying 
prayer.  Did  Stephen  die  foolishly  and  in  a  mad 
man's  cause?  Was  he  deluded?  Could  it  be  possi- 
ble after  all  that  the  crucified  carpenter  was  the  real 
Messiah?  Such  thoughts  as  these  would  naturally 
force  themselves  upon  his  mind  as  he  journeyed  on 
day  after  day,  but  when  they  came  he  drove  them 
away  and  thought  of  himself  as  the  one  chosen  of 
Jehovah  to  defend  the  law  of  Moses  and  maintain 
the  purity  of  the  national  religion. 

Saul  drew  near  to  Damascus.  The  heat  was  in- 
tense, and  the  glare  from  the  white  sand  was  almost 
intolerable.  Most  travellers  in  that  land  spend  the 
midday  hours  resting  under  tents  sheltered  from  the 
torrid  heat ;  but,  in  the  distance,  Saul  could  see  the 
city  that  was  to  be  his  destination,  and  pushed  on- 
ward through  the  sweltering  atmosphere.  In  the 
midst  of  this  heat  and  glare  he  had  the  greatest  ex- 
perience of  his  life.  Suddenly  there  shone  round 
about  him  and  his  company  a  light  of  greater  bright- 
ness than  that  of  the  noonday  sun.  The  oppressive 
silence  was  broken  by  a  voice  speaking  in  the  He- 
brew language  and  saying,  "Saul,  Saul,  why  perse- 
cutest  thou  me  ?  "    The  fact  that  the  Hebrew  tongue 


6o  Paul  the  Apostle 

was  used  in  addressing  Saul  is  stated  in  the  twenty- 
sixth  chapter  of  Acts.  Those  who  were  with  him 
saw  the  light  and  heard  the  voice  but  were  unable  to 
understand  the  words  that  were  spoken.  The  He- 
brew was  at  that  time  a  dead  language,  and  Saul  was 
the  only  one  in  the  party  who  understood  that  sacred 
tongue. 

Saul  trembling  with  astonishment  answered,  "Who 
art  thou,  Lord?"  The  voice  replied,  "lam  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  whom  thou  persecutest.  But  arise,  and 
stand  upon  thy  feet :  for  to  this  end  have  I  appeared 
unto  thee,  to  appoint  thee  a  minister  and  a  witness 
both  of  the  things  wherein  thou  hast  seen  me,  and 
of  the  things  wherein  I  shall  appear  unto  thee  :  de- 
livering thee  from  the  people,  and  from  the  Gentiles, 
unto  whom  I  send  thee,  to  open  their  eyes,  that  they 
may  turn  from  darkness  to  light  and  from  the  power 
of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may  receive  remission 
of  sins  and  an  inheritance  among  them  that  are  sanc- 
tified by  faith  in  me"  (Acts  xxvi.  15-18).  Saul, 
quaking  with  fear,  said,  "  What  shall  I  do,  Lord  ?  " 
Jesus  told  him  to  go  into  the  city  and  he  would  find 
a  man  who  would  answer  his  question. 

The  Lord  had  left  His  cause  in  the  hands  of  men 
whom  He  had  qualified  to  conduct  its  affairs,  and 
instead  of  answering  Saul's  question  in  a  direct  way 
He  sent  him  to  a  man  who  could  give  him  the  de- 
sired infoi-mation.  Jesus  appeared  to  Saul  to  make 
him  a  minister  and  a  witness.  It  was  to  be  Saul's 
r6.ission  in  life  to  preach  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  to 
the  Gentile  nations,  and  in  order  to  qualify  him  to 
give  personal  testimony  to  this  fundamental  fact  it 
was  necessary  for  Jesus  to  show  Himself  to  him  after 


Saul  Converted  6l 

the  resurrection  Lad  occurred.  The  resurrection  of 
Jesus  thus  became  to  Saul  a  matter  of  personal 
knowledge.  He  had  seen  Him  and  heard  Him,  and 
could  preach  the  resurrection  as  a  matter  of  fact. 
His  conversion  resulted  from  his  hearing,  believing, 
and  obeying  the  truth.  He  surrendered  himself 
completely  to  his  Lord.  He  was  made  an  apostle 
by  this  special  revelation  and  the  commission  to 
preach  Christ  to  the  Gentiles.  The  Lord  needs  no 
more  apostles,  and,  for  that  reason,  there  have  been 
no  more  such  revelations  and  experiences  as  Saul 
had. 

Blinded  by  the  vision,  he  arose  from  the  earth  and 
was  led  by  the  hand  of  one  of  his  companions.  He 
passed  inside  the  city  in  a  condition  quite  different 
from  that  in  which  he  had  expected  to  enter  it.  His 
pride  had  vanished,  and  his  bold  and  independent 
spirit  was  humbled  completely  before  the  Christ, 
risen  and  glorious.  He  was  conducted  to  the  home 
of  a  Jew  named  Judas  of  whom  nothing  more  is 
known.  This  man's  name  is  found  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament because  he  opened  his  door  to  receive  the 
blinded  Saul.  His  hospitality  has  made  him  famous. 
For  three  days  Saul  lay  in  darkness  and  agony, 
waiting  for  tlie  instruction  that  Jesus  had  told  him 
would  be  given  him  in  the  city. 

There  was  a  disciple  in  Damascus  named  Ananias. 
He  was  a  devout  man,  having  high  standing  in  the 
estimation  of  the  Jews  of  the  city.  To  this  man 
came  a  message  from  God  saying,  ''Arise  and  go 
into  the  street  that  is  called  Straight  and  enquire,  at 
the  house  of  Judas,  for  one  Saul  of  Tarsus  :  for  be- 
hold he  prayeth."    Even  with  this  direction  and  as- 


62  Paul  the  Apostle 

surance,  Aiiauias  did  not  feel  free  to  go.  We  cannot 
wonder  that  he  hesitated.  Like  Moses  at  Mount  Ho- 
reb,  when  he  was  told  that  he  was  to  deliver  Israel 
from  slavery,  he  had  an  objection  to  offer  and  stated 
it.  He  said,  ''  Lord,  I  have  heard  from  many  of  this 
man,  how  much  evil  he  did  to  thy  saints  at  Jerusa- 
lem, and  here  he  hath  authority  from  the  chief 
priest  to  bind  all  that  call  upon  thy  name. " 

Ananias  cannot  be  censured  for  not  readily  con- 
senting to  go  to  Saul.  The  very  name  of  Saul  carried 
terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  to 
be  ordered  to  go  into  the  presence  of  this  murderous 
man  was  hard  for  Ananias  to  understand.  The 
Lord  gave  him  further  assurance  in  these  words, 
"Go  thy  way  :  for  he  is  a  chosen  vessel  to  bear  my 
name  before  the  Gentiles  and  kings  and  the  children 
of  Lsrael  ;  for  I  will  show  him  how  many  things  he 
must  suffer  for  my  name's  sake."  This  cup  of 
prophecy  was  filled  to  the  brim.  Saul  had  caused 
others  to  suffer  unwillingly  in  the  interest  of  the 
Christian  faith,  and  now  he  was  destined  to  suffer 
willingly  in  the  same  righteous  cause. 

Ananias  went  at  once  to  the  house  of  Judas  and. 
enquired  for  Saul.  He  was  conducted  into  the  room 
occupied  by  Saul  and  found  himself  in  the  presence 
of  the  most  unrelenting  foe  that  the  church  ever  had. 
He  had  no  words  of  censure  for  Saul's  former  course, 
but  addressed  him  by  the  endearing  word,  brother. 
He  said:  "Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Jesus,  who 
appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  which  thou  earnest, 
hath  sent  me,  that  thou  mayest  receive  thy  sight  and 
be  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  now,  why  tar- 
riest  thou?    Arise  and  be  baptized  and  wash  away 


Saul  Converted  63 

thy  sius,  calliug  ou  his  name."  At  this  iustant  his 
sight  returned,  aud  theu  he  received  Christian  bap- 
tism. With  body,  mind,  aud  conscieupe  at  ease,  he 
took  food  and  was  refreshed. 

We  do  not  know  how  long  Saul  remained  in  the 
house  of  Judas.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  as 
soon  as  he  was  refreshed  by  a  few  days'  rest  he  went 
forth  and  began  to  preach  the  faith  that  he  had  tried 
his  hardest  to  destroy.  He  remained  "certain  days 
with  the  disciijles  that  were  at  Damascus."  When 
he  was  converted  to  the  Christian  faith,  his  conver- 
sion was  complete.  He  brought  into  the  church  the 
same  consuming  zeal  aud  enthusiasm  that  he  had 
exhibited  when  fighting  against  it.  With  intense 
desire  to  preach  the  Gospel  thrilling  his  heart  and 
mind  he  could  not  long  be  silent,  and  at  his  earliest 
ox^portunity  he  went  boldly  into  the  synagogue  and 
proclaimed  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  at  Damascus  were  greatly  astonished 
when  they  heard  that  the  great  persecuter  who  had 
made  havoc  of  the  church  in  Jerusalem  and  who  had 
come  to  their  own  city,  breathing  out  threatenings 
and  slaughter,  had  embraced  the  religion  of  Christ 
and  become  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  It  seemed  too 
good  to  be  true.  But  when  Saul's  strength  had  been 
fully  restored  and  he  began  to  confound  the  Jews  that 
dwelt  in  the  city,  they  were  convinced  that  he  was 
indeed  a  disciple. 

He  remained  in  Damascus  "  many  days."  The  ex- 
pression is  indefinite,  but  when  the  time  covered  by 
these  words  had  passed,  he  left  the  city  and  did  not 
return  for  three  years.  In  our  efforts  to  obtain  a 
complete  record  of  his  movements  at  this  period  of 


64  Paul  the  Apostle 

his  life,  we  can  gain  some  information  by  the  study 
of  one  of  his  epistles.  In  Galatians  i.  17  he  says  that 
he  went  into  Arabia,  and  in  the  eighteenth  verse  he 
says  that  his  visit  to  Jerusalem  was  three  years  after 
his  conversion.  The  larger  portion  of  these  years 
was  spent  in  Arabia.  The  name  "  Arabia  "  was  in- 
definite. It  is  now  limited  to  the  peninsula  between 
the  Red  Sea  and  the  Persian  Gulf.  Damascus  was  in 
the  Arabia  of  that  day.  We  have  no  means  of  know- 
ing the  exact  place  or  places  visited  by  Saul  at  this 
time,  but  as  the  region  around  Mount  Siuai  was  in 
Arabia,  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  withdrew  to  that 
historic  place.  There  Moses  had  seen  the  vision  of 
the  burning  bush  ;  there  the  mountain  had  burned 
beneath  the  feet  of  the  God  of  Israel ;  there  the  Ten 
Commandments  had  been  given  from  the  midst  of  the 
thick  darkness  where  God  was,  aud  there  Elijah  had 
spent  forty  days  in  communion  with  Jehovah. 

But  why  should  we  believe  that  Saul  spent  three 
years  in  silent  meditation  1  Some  thiuk  that  it  took 
him  all  this  time  to  study  out  clearly  his  new  relation 
to  God  aud  the  mission  on  which  he  was  to  be  sent. 
Why  should  we  believe  this  ?  There  was  too  much 
flaming  zeal  in  the  heart  of  Saul  and  too  strong  a 
desire  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  salvation  for  him  to 
have  been  content  to  remain  in  silent  obscurity  for 
three  years.  The  hermit's  life  had  no  attraction  for 
him.  The  world  lay  in  wickedness.  He  was  not 
long  in  retirement,  and,  like  John  the  Baptist,  he 
came  forth  a  voice  for  God. 

We  have  no  information  concerning  what  Paul 
did  during  these  years  spent  in  Arabia.  The  silence 
of  the  Scriptures  leaves  him  in  darkness  and  we  can- 


Saul  Converted  65 

not  lift  the  veil.  Yet  it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  was 
not  idle.  If  we  had  a  record  of  that  period,  we  can 
liardly  doubt  that  it  would  be  as  full  of  the  accouuts 
of  sermons  delivered,  sinners  converted  and  persecu- 
tious  endured  as  the  record  in  the  latter  part  of  Acts. 
But  Infinite  Wisdom  has  left  this  portion  of  his  life 
shrouded  in  darkness  and  we  cannot  penetrate  the 
gloom. 

Saul  returned  to  Damascus  but  his  stay  was  short. 
He  began  to  experience  at  the  hands  of  the  Jews  the 
same  kind  of  treatment  that  many  innocent  Chris- 
tians had  experienced  at  his  hands.  Their  anger  was 
greatly  inflamed  against  him.  There  were  two 
reasons  for  this  :  they  were  hostile  to  the  followers  of 
Christ  in  general,  and,  since  Saul  had  allicuJ  himself 
with  the  enemy,  he  was  looked  upon  by  ftiem  as  a 
traitor.  He  had  not  only  deserted  them  but  had 
joined  their  adversaries.  Deserters  are  ever  regarded 
with  scorn  and  contempt  by  the  champions  of  the 
cause  they  desert.  The  Jews  looked  upon  him  as  an 
unworthy  apostate  and  thirsted  for  his  blood.  No 
one  dared  to  assassinate  him  though  all  desired  his 
death. 

Men,  in  large  bodies,  will  do  deeds  that  they  would 
not  do  as  individuals.  The  Jews  held  some  secret 
meetings  to  lay  plans  to  rid  themselves  of  Saul  by 
taking  his  life.  They  carefully  i)lotted  his  murder 
but  tried  to  keep  their  design  secret.  Sentinels  were 
placed  at  the  gates  of  the  city  to  prevent  his  escape, 
and  this  vigilance  was  kept  up  day  and  night.  The 
disciples  became  aware  of  the  plot,  and  a  counter 
plot  was  formed.  Saul's 'life  seemed  to  depend  upon 
a  question  of  strategy,  but  he  passed  safely  through 


66  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  danger.  Some  one  who  was  well  informed  in 
Jewish  history  probably  thought  of  the  way  the  spies 
made  their  escape  from  Jericho  (Josh.  ii.  15),  and 
suggested  that  Saul  might  be  saved  in  a  similar  man- 
ner. At  night  when  every  gate  was  securely  guarded, 
some  zealous  disciples  let  Saul  down  in  a  basket 
from  a  window  to  the  ground  outside  the  city  wall, 
aiid  he  stole  away  in  the  darkness. 

It  was  exceedingly  humiliating  to  Saul  to  be  com- 
pelled to  make  his  escape  from  the  city  in  such  a 
criminal-like  manner,  but  he  was  glad  to  find  him- 
self a  free  man  once  more  though  in  the  desert  and 
alone.  No  human  friend  was  near  to  speak  a  word 
of  sympathy  and  encouragement.  It  is  not  certain 
that  Saul  had  any  definite  plan  of  action  before  him, 
but  after  gaining  his  liberty,  he  turned  his  face 
towards  Jerusalem  and  began  his  journey  thither. 
He  tells  us  (Gal.  i.  18)  that  his  object  in  making  this 
visit  to  the  Holy  City  was  to  become  acquainted  with 
Peter.  The  incidents  on  the  way  between  Damascus 
and  Jerusalem,  if  any  occurred,  are  passed  over  in 
silence.  Nothing  is  said  of  Saul's  emotions  as  he 
drew  near  to  the  spot  where  Jesus  had  spoken  to  him 
three  years  before  and  invested  him  with  apostolic 
authority.  Our  imagination  must  show  to  us  the 
throbbing  breast,  the  drooping  head,  and  the  tearful 
eyes  of  the  solitary  traveller  as  he  listened  in  the 
darkness  for  that  voice  again.  The  voice  was  not 
heard,  and  all  remained  as  silent  as  the  deep  dark 
stillness  of  the  peaceful  night. 

Saul  needed  no  further  instruction  at  this  time, 
and,  receiving  none,  he  pursued  his  lonely  way.  He 
passed  from  that  sacred  spot  feeling  the  thrill  of  the 


Saul  Converted  67 

presence  of  the  absent  One,  and  when  morning 
dawned,  he  was  well  on  his  way,  walking  hastily 
ov^er  the  desert.  Looking  to  the  right  lie  saw  Mount 
Hermon,  resplendent  with  the  first  rays  of  the  rising 
sun  and  reaching  to  the  clouds.  Behind  him  in  the 
distance  lay  Damascus  encircled  by  a  fringe  of  green  ; 
to  the  left  and  in  front  of  him,  the  barren  expanse, 
apparently  without  limit,  stretched  away  to  the 
horizon. 

Upon  reaching  Jerusalem  after  a  toilsome  journey 
of  many  days  and  weary  and  worn  with  travel,  he 
sought  out  a  company  of  disciples  and  attempted  to 
join  himself  to  them.  To  say  the  least,  they  were 
suspicious  of  him  ;  and,  calling  to  mind  his  former 
attitude  towards  the  church,  they  refused  to  recog- 
nize him  as  a  disciple  or  admit  him  to  their  fellow- 
ship. For  this  he  never  censured  them.  He  could 
see  plainly  that  they  had  good  reasons  for  their 
course.  One  of  the  most  popular  men  in  the  Jeru- 
salem church  was  Barnabas.  He  has  been  mentioned 
heretofore  in  connection  with  the  benevolence  of  the 
church  in  caring  for  the  poor.  He  was  personally 
acquainted  with  Saul.  They  had  been  reared  in 
neighbouring  provinces  and  had  probably  been  fel- 
low students  in  the  same  school.  Barnabas  knew  the 
facts  concerning  Saul's  conversion  and  took  it  upon 
himself  to  vouch  for  him  as  a  Christian.  Noted  for 
his  powers  of  persuasion,  he  was  not  long  in  con- 
vincing the  leaders  of  the  church  that  Saul  was  no 
longer  a  man  to  be  dreaded  by  the  Christians  but  a 
thorough  Christian  himself.  As  soon  as  he  was 
recognized  as  a  Christian  he  began  to  preach  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  with  great  zeal  and  success. 


68  Paul  the  Apostle 

His  stay  in  the  city  was  brief  and  his  departure 
hurried.  He  had  been  there  but  fifteen  days  when 
the  Jews  conspired  against  him,  and  some  features  of 
his  departure  from  Damascus  were  reenacted.  When 
his  friends  heard  that  the  Jews  were  about  to  kill 
him,  they  took  measures  for  his  safety.  He  was  as- 
sured by  a  vision  in  the  temple  that  no  immediate 
harm  should  befall  him.  We  shall  take  his  own  de- 
scription of  this  vision  :  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  that, 
when  I  had  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  while  I  prayed 
in  the  temple,  I  fell  into  a  trance,  and  saw  him  saying 
unto  me.  Make  haste,  and  get  thee  quickly  out  of 
Jerusalem  :  because  they  will  not  receive  of  thee  testi- 
mony concerning  me.  And  I  said.  Lord,  they  them- 
selves know  that  I  imi^risoned  and  beat  in  every 
synagogue  them  that  believed  on  thee  :  and  when  the 
blood  of  Stephen  thy  witness  was  shed,  I  also  was 
standing  by,  and  keeping  the  garments  of  them  that 
slew  him.  And  he  said  unto  me.  Depart :  for  I  will 
send  thee  forth  far  hence  unto  the  Gentiles  ' '  (Acts 
xxii.  17-21). 

After  this  vision  the  brethren  slipped  hira  out  of 
the  city  and  accomjjanied  him  as  far  as  Csesarea,  and 
at  this  port  he  went  aboard  a  ship  and  sailed  away 
over  the  Mediterranean  Sea  to  his  native  city.  At 
home  in  Tarsus,  we  leave  him  for  a  while,  where  he  re- 
mains among  friends  and  amid  the  familiar  scenes 
of  his  boyhood. 


EVENTS  IN  ANTIOCH 

SAUL  spent  several  years  in  or  near  his  native 
city,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  how  he 
spent  his  time.  He  was  busy  every  day  tell- 
ing the  story  of  redemption  to  his  friends  and  associ- 
ates of  early  days,  and  in  evangelizing  the  surround- 
ing country. 

In  the  meantime  events  of  momentous  interest  had 
occurred  in  the  city  of  Antioch.  The  Gentiles,  who 
for  thirteen  centuries  had  been  regarded  as  a  people 
unclean,  unworthy,  and  undesirable,  liad  been  re- 
ceived into  full  fellowship  of  the  church  of  Christ. 
All  national  boundaries  had  been  broken  down  and  all 
tribal  distinctions  abolished.  This  was  a  long  stride 
forward  in  the  fulfillment  of  God's  plan.  The  manner 
In  which  this  religious  revolution  was  accomplished 
is  given  in  detail  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Acts,  but  as 
Peter  and  not  Saul  was  the  human  agent  in  the  enter- 
prise, we  refer  the  reader  to  that  chapter  for  the 
facts. 

When  the  church  in  Jerusalem  was  scatt-ered  dur- 
ing the  persecution  that  began  with  the  death  of 
Stephen,  some  of  the  refugees  went  as  far  as  Cyprus, 
Phoenicia,  and  Antioch,  preaching  to  the  Jews  only. 
Cyprus  is  an  island  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  Phoenicia,  the  birthplace  of 
letters  and  navigation,  was  a  small  territory  border- 

69 


^o  Paul  the  Apostle 

ing  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  same  sea.  Antioch 
was  a  splendid  city  on  the  Orontes  River,  once  the 
capital  of  the  Greek  kingdom  of  Assyria.  It  was 
situated  sixteen  and  one-half  miles  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean shore,  and  was  surrounded  by  wild  and  rugged 
scenery.  Where  the  Lebanon  range  of  mountains 
running  northward  and  the  Taurus  chain  running 
eastward  meet  in  a  bold  and  abrupt  angle,  the  noted 
city  stands.  It  is  situated  partly  on  an  island,  and 
partly  on  the  levee  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river, 
and  extends  far  up  the  rugged  side  of  Mount  Sulpius. 
It  figured  largely  in  the  history  of  the  rise  and  prog- 
ress of  Mohammedanism,  and  also  of  the  crusades. 
Fiction  has  wrapped  its  misty  folds  about  it.  While 
the  city  is  noted  for  many  things,  its  greatest  interest 
to  the  Christian  student  is  because  of  the  fact  that  it 
was  at  Antioch  that  the  first  great  church  was  built 
up  in  which  the  Gentile  element  was  dominant.  It 
was  the  first  Gentile  church.  When  the  preachers 
from  Jerusalem  arrived  in  the  city  they  disregarded 
all  national  bounds  and  extended  the  blessing  of  the 
Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  God  blessed  their  labours 
abundantly  and  many  were  won  to  Christ. 

The  report  of  this  work  in  Antioch  reached  Jeru- 
salem, three  hundred  miles  to  the  south.  The  church 
at  the  latter  place  had  been  fully  prepared  for  such 
tidiugs,  having  heard  from  Peter's  lips  how  God  had 
opened  a  door  of  faith  to  the  Gentiles.  They  rejoiced 
at  the  good  news  from  the  northern  city.  Barnabas, 
one  of  the  most  useful  men  in  the  Jerusalem  church, 
was  sent  to  the  Gentile  metropolis  to  aid  in  confirm- 
ing the  faith  of  the  young  converts  and  to  make 
proper  inspection  of  the  afiairs  of  the  church.     The 


Events  in  Antioch  71 

desire  of  the  brethren  at  Jerusalem  was  to  see  a  strong 
congregation  established  at  Antioch,  which  would 
serve  as  an  evangelizing  agency  and  center  of  opera- 
tions among  the  Gentiles.  Barnabas  was  well  suited 
to  the  work  committed  to  his  hands.  His  description 
furnished  by  Luke  shows  him  to  have  been  the  ideal 
minister  of  Christ.  "  He  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  faith."  The  natural  results 
of  the  labours  of  such  a  minister  are  stated  in  the 
same  connection,  "and  much  people  were  added  to 
the  Lord." 

The  coming  of  this  excellent  man  was  an  inestima- 
ble blessing  to  the  young  church.  They  needed  in- 
struction, and  he  was  well  equipped  to  lead  them  in 
all  good  things.  When  he  saw  the  genuineness  of 
their  faith  and  the  depth  of  their  piety  he  was  glad, 
and  exhorted  them  to  cleave  to  the  Lord.  The  church 
in  Antioch  was  being  prepared  to  enter  upon  an 
enterprise  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  it  grew 
rapidly  in  numbers  and  influence. 

Barnabas  soon  saw  the  need  of  a  competent  man  to 
assist  him  in  caring  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  so 
many  people,  and,  casting  about  for  a  suitable  fellow- 
worker,  he  thought  of  his  friend  Saul  whom  he  had 
introduced  to  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem,  and  for 
whose  sincerity  he  stood  pledged,  when  all  others 
were  suspicious  of  him.  Saul  was  at  this  time  in 
Tarsus  whither  he  had  gone  in  compliance  with  the 
direction  given  him  in  the  vision  while  praying  in 
the  temple.  Antioch  and  Tarsus  were  neighbouring 
cities.  Barnabas  left  the  church  for  a  time  in  the 
care  of  others  and  went  to  Tarsus  in  search  of  Saul. 
These  two  devoted  friends  had  not  met  since  the  night 


y2  Paul   the  Apostle 

the  brethren  in  Jerusalem  escorted  Saul  to  Ctesarea 
and  sent  him  forth  to  Tarsus.  In  going  to  Tarsus, 
Barnabas  could  have  travelled  by  land,  passing  around 
the  bay  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  sea,  or  he 
could  have  sailed  from  Seleucia,  across  the  open 
mouth  of  the  bay  and  uj)  the  Cydnus,  landing  at  the 
wharf  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  He  made  his  appear- 
ance, a  strange  man  in  a  strange  city,  and  enquired 
for  Saul.  He  found  him  and  brought  him  to  Antioch. 
It  would  seem  from  the  language  employed  that  some 
search  was  made  before  Barnabas  found  the  apostle. 

For  a  year  these  two  great  men  continued  to  serve 
the  church  in  Antioch.  They  taught  much  people 
and  the  work  greatly  prospered  under  their  ministry. 
It  was  at  Antioch  that  the  name  "Christian"  was 
first  used  to  designate  the  followers  of  Christ.  Ee- 
garding  the  origin  of  this  name  there  has  been  much 
unprofitable  controversy.  Some  claim  that  it  was 
applied  to  Christ's  followers  as  a  term  of  reproach, 
but  this  is  not  reasonable.  The  Jews  looked  upon 
the  term  ''Christ  "  as  equivalent  to  "Messiah,"  and 
consequently  a  name  too  sacred  to  be  used  in  deri- 
sion. Furthermore,  the  Jews  had  a  real  term  of  re- 
proach, the  name  "Nazarene."  It  would  be  unrea- 
sonable to  believe  that  they  would  use  a  sacred  name 
in  derision  when  the  derisive  term  was  both  current 
and  popular. 

Others  contend  that  the  name  was  conferred  by  the 
Gentiles,  and  still  others  that  the  disciples  bestowed 
this  name  upon  themselves  in  honour  of  Christ.  The 
contention  is  also  made  that  the  name  Christian  was 
given  in  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah 
(Isaiah  Ixii.   1-6).     In  this  prophecy  God  declared 


Events  in  Antioch  73 

that,  when  the  Gentiles  accepted  Christ,  He  would 
give  His  people  a  new  name  which  He  would  bestow 
on  them  Himself.  Antioch  was  the  first  great  Gentile 
church,  and  it  is  significant  that  the  new  name, 
Christian,  came  into  use  there  (Acts  xi.  26).  This 
being  a  new  designation  for  God's  people  and  first 
used  at  Antioch,  would  imply,  if  not  more  than  im- 
ply, that  it  was  the  ''new  name"  given  by  divine 
authority  and  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  the  Lord. 
Still,  it  must  be  admitted  that  a  careful  study  of  the 
passage  in  Isaiah  does  not  make  it  absolutely  certain 
that  the  name  Christian  was  the  new  name  that  God 
promised  to  give  His  people ;  yet  a  stronger  argu- 
ment can  be  made  for  its  divine  origin  than  can  be 
produced  to  prove  that  it  originated  with  men.  Bat 
whether  it  originated  with  God  or  with  man  is  a 
matter  of  little  moment.  It  was  recognized  by  the 
friends  and  enemies  alike  as  an  appropriate  name  to 
distiuguish  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  has  become 
current  throughout  the  world. 

It  is  very  unfortunate  for  the  Christian  religion 
that  divisive  names  ever  came  into  existence,  and 
that  the  body  of  Christ  ever  came  to  be  divided  into 
the  numerous  sects  and  parties  of  the  present  day. 
To  be  a  Christian  is  all  that  the  Gospel  demands, 
and  that  is  all  one  should  be.  The  multiplicity  of 
denomiuatious  is  not  only  needless  but  exceedingly 
detrimental  to  the  progress  of  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  lovers  of  Christ  will  be  compelled  to 
unite  before  the  world  will  believe  on  Him  as  the 
Saviour.  The  first  and  greatest  problem  before  the 
church  of  this  age  is  the  union  of  Christians,  and 
when  that  is  consummated,   the  conversion  of  the 


74  Paul  the  Apostle 

world  will  be  an  easy  matter.  "With  a  solidly  united 
church,  the  world  could  be  evangelized  in  a  gener- 
ation. 

Some  time  during  the  year  that  Saul  spent  at  An- 
tioch,  a  company  of  teachers  and  prophets  from 
Jerusalem  made  their  appearance  in  the  city.  It 
was  a  delegation  from  the  parent  church  and  sent  for 
the  purpose  of  assisting  Barnabas  and  Saul  in  caring 
for  the  church  and  evangelizing  the  city.  Agabus, 
one  of  these  prophets,  made  known  the  fact  that  a 
famine  was  impending,  aud  that  it  would  extend  all 
over  the  known  world.  The  Gentile  Christians  of 
Antioch  had  a  very  tender  feeling  for  their  Jewish 
brethren  in  Palestine.  This  feeling  prompted  them 
to  send  some  relief  to  Jerusalem  to  be  used  to  help 
the  brethren  through  the  period  of  scarcity.  The 
decision  was  unanimous,  and  every  one  gave  as  God 
had  prospered  him.  The  amount  contributed  is  not 
stated.  Barnabas  and  Saul  were  appointed  to  bear 
the  donation  to  Jerusalem.  Because  of  the  reen- 
forcement  of  the  i^reaching  force  by  these  workers 
from  Jerusalem  Barnabas  and  Saul  could  be  spared 
long  enough  to  go  upon  this  journey. 

Luke  devotes  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Acts  to  events 
that  occurred  in  Palestine  and  chiefly  in  the  city  of 
Jerusalem.  He  tells  of  another  persecution  of  the 
church.  Herod  Agrippa  led  the  fight.  By  his 
orders  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  was  put  to  death. 
Peter  was  rudely  thrown  into  prison,  and  he  fully 
expected  to  meet  the  same  fate,  but  was  delivered 
from  death  by  an  angel  who  led  him  out  of  the 
prison  and  gave  him  his  liberty.  Herod  met  a  well 
deserved  death  by  a  stroke  of  divine  judgment,  and, 


Events  in  Antioch  75 

the  tyrant  out  of  the  way,  the  word  of  the  Lord  grew 
aud  multiplied. 

Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  in  due  time  and  re- 
ported the  result  of  their  mission.  They  had  been 
well  received  by  the  Jewish  Christiaus  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  relief  had  been  accepted  in  the  same 
fraternal  spirit  that  prompted  the  Gentile  brethren 
to  send  it.  A  strange  youDg  man  from  Jerusalem 
accompanied  them  back  to  Antioch.  This  man  was 
John  whose  surname  was  Mark.  He  was  a  kiusman 
of  Barnabas  and  his  mother  lived  in  Jerusalem.  It 
was  to  her  house  that  Peter  went  after  the  angel  had 
opened  the  prison  and  led  him  out.  John  Mark  was 
the  man  who  wrote  the  gospel  narrative  that  bears 
his  name.  He  is  mentioned  as  laboring  in  the  Gos- 
pel in  different  countries  and  in  the  company  of  dif- 
ferent fellow-labourers.  His  name  will  be  often  men- 
tioned in  this  book. 


YI 

THE  FIEST  MISSION AET  JOUENEY  BEGUN : 
EVENTS  IN  CYPEUS 

FEOM  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Acts  to  the 
end  of  the  Book,  we  journey  in  company 
with  Saul  of  Tarsus.  This  part  of  Acts 
opens  with  a  list  of  the  leaders  in  the  church  at  An- 
tioch.  Their  names  are  found  in  the  opening  verse. 
Barnabas  and  Symeon,  called  Niger,  Lucius  of 
Cyrene,  Manaen,  the  foster  brother  of  Herod,  and 
Saul.  This  was  a  great  array  of  talent  and  consecra- 
tion to  be  confined  to  one  congregation,  and  we  are 
not  surprised  that  a  great  expansion  in  evangelism 
was  the  next  move. 

God  could  use  some  of  these  men  more  advanta- 
geously elsewhere.  The  Holy  Spirit  said,  '^  Separate 
me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have 
called  them."  We  know  that  Saul  was  called  to  be- 
come a  chosen  vessel  to  bear  the  name  of  Jesus  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  here  we  learn  that  Barnabas  was 
called  for  the  same  great  purpose.  The  time  had 
now  fully  come  for  them  to  enter  upon  the  mission  of 
their  lives.  Their  lifelong  task  was  to  begin,  and 
no  one  could  foretell  what  and  where  the  ending 
would  be.  They  were  to  be  the  pioneers  of  the  ages 
in  heathen  missions,  and  the  missionaries  of  all  the 
centuries  since  have  but  built  upon  the  foundation 
laid  by  them. 

76 


First  Missionary  Journey  Begun  77 

After  a  solemn  and  impressive  service  of  prayer, 
fasting,  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  the  missionaries 
started  on  their  long  and  uncertain  journey.  It  was 
the  most  important  and  far-reachiug  enterprise  ever 
undertaken  by  man.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the 
evangelization  of  the  Gentile  world,  and  was  under- 
taken in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Christ  and  in 
answer  to  the  appeal  of  the  nations.  The  isles  had 
long  waited  for  God's  law,  and  now  they  were  to  hear 
it.  Human  history  records  nothing  worthy  to  be 
compared  to  the  beginning  of  the  glorious  work  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  children  of  men  ;  and 
while  the  GosiJel  had  been  preached  prior  to  this  time, 
the  preaching  was  confined  to  the  Jews  only.  The 
traditional  provincialism  of  the  Jews  was  disregarded 
by  the  church  at  Antioch,  and  under  the  impulse  of 
divine  direction  the  Gospel  was  offered  to  all  man- 
kind. The  church  has  only  one  mission,  and  that  is 
to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ  all  round  the  globe. 
Its  task  will  not  be  complete  till  all  are  brought  to  see 
the  Light  that  iighteth  every  man  coming  into  the 
world. 

The  three  men,  Barnabas,  Saul  and  Mark,  who  un- 
dertook the  perilous  task  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
the  Gentile  nations,  were  actuated  by  the  strongest 
impulse  that  ever  stirred  the  hearts  of  men.  Their 
purpose  was  to  glorify  God  in  seeking  to  save  men. 
They  had  lost  self  and  found  the  race.  Their  field 
was  the  world. 

On  leaving  Antioch,  they  could  have  travelled  by 
boat  down  the  winding  river  to  the  sea,  but  it  is 
probable  that  they  went  to  Seleucia  by  land.  If  they 
did  this,  they  crossed  the  Orontes  to  its  northern 


jS  Paul  the  Apostle 

bank,  turned  westward  and  passed  along  the  highway 
leading  thence  from  Autioch.  The  road  passed 
through  large  groves  of  palm  and  j  ungles  of  olean- 
der. Seleucia  was  a  short  distance  north  of  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  was  the  port  of  Antioch. 
The  river  was  navigable  for  small  vessels,  but  the 
larger  ships  could  not  ascend  to  the  city.  These  had 
to  unload  in  the  harbour  of  Seleucia  and  send  their 
freight  and  passengers  to  Antioch  in  boats  of  lighter 
draught. 

From  Seleucia  the  missionaries  sailed  for  Cyprus. 
They  were  full  of  joy  ;  the  whole  heathen  world  was 
before  them  and  the  Spirit  of  God  was  in  their  hearts. 
This  was  the  first  voyage  ever  taken  in  the  interest  of 
heathen  missions^  There  has  been  a  great  change 
since  then.  It  is  rarely,  if  ever,  the  case,  in  our 
day,  that  a  ship  sails  from  a  Christian  land,  in  the 
direction  of  any  heathen  land,  that  does  not  number 
among  her  passengers  the  devoted  missionary  on  the 
way  to  help  the  nations  shrouded  in  gloom. 

There  are  some  good  reasons  why  these  men  went 
to  Cyprus  to  begin  their  labours  as  missionaries.  It 
was  the  nearest  of  all  the  foreign  countries.  On  a 
clear  day  the  mountains  of  Cyprus  can  be  distinctly 
seen  from  Seleucia.  There  were  many  Jews  in  the 
island,  and  some  preaching  had  already  been  done 
there,  but  to  the  Jews  only  (Acts  xi.  19).  But 
perhaps  the  strongest  reason  for  choosing  that  field 
was  that  it  was  the  native  land  of  Barnabas,  and  he 
wanted  to  take  the  message  of  life  and  love  to  his 
own  people.  When  Andrew  found  Jesus,  he  went  at 
once  ill  search  of  his  brother  Simon  and  brought  him 
to  the  Master.     That  is  all  we  know  of  the  work  of 


First  Missionary  Journey  Begun  79 

Andrew,  but  if  he  did  nothing  else  but  bring  Simon 
Peter  to  the  Lord  he  did  a  great  work,  and  must  ever 
be  regarded  as  an  eminently  successful  man.  Peter 
was  the  chief  speaker  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when 
three  thousand  were  added  to  tbe  Lord's  people. 
Andrew  is  not  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  re- 
sults of  Peter's  sermon  on  that  day,  but  we  can  see 
him  dimly  in  the  background.  This  same  love  for 
kindred  and  friends  led  Barnabas  to  Cyprus. 

Mark  was  a  young  man.  His  mother  was  a  sister 
of  Barnabas.  This  relationship  was  probably  the 
reason  why  he  was  selected  to  go  on  this  journey  in 
company  with  his  two  seniors.  They  took  him  along 
as  an  attendant.  He  was  not  probably  an  active 
preacher  at  this  time,  but  assisted  in  the  work  in  any 
way  he  could,  and  especially  in  administering  the 
ordinance  of  baptism.  Saul  was  not  at  this  time  re- 
garded as  the  leader,  the  name  of  Barnabas  always 
being  mentioned  first. 

The  ship  sailed  away  towards  the  southwest.  Cy- 
prus is  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Seleucia,  and, 
with  the  wind  favouring  them,  they  could  have  trav- 
ersed the  distance  in  a  few  hours.  The  horn  of  land 
extending  northeastward  from  the  mainland  of  Cy- 
prus is  known  as  Cape  St.  Andrea.  This  was  the 
first  land  to  which  they  drew  near.  Sailing  on  by 
this  point,  the  southern  projection  came  into  view. 
This  is  known  as  Cape  Grego.  Between  these  two 
capes  the  ancient  city  of  Salamis  rose  to  view,  and 
the  vessel  was  soon  at  the  dock. 

In  this  city  a  large  number  of  Jews  resided,  and 
met  in  a  plurality  of  synagogues.  The  missionaries, 
being  themselves  Jews,  had  the  privilege  of  using 


8o      '  Paul  the  Apostle 

these  synagogues.  Thus  they  came  in  contact  with 
the  heathen  people  who  attended  the  Jewish  services. 
In  Salamis  they  "  proclaimed  the  word  of  God  in  the 
synagogue  of  the  Jews."  We  do  not  know  with 
what  success  they  preached,  but  from  the  silence  of 
the  historian  who  reports  no  results,  it  would  be 
natural  to  infer  that  few,  if  any,  accepted  Christ. 
Their  success  could  not  have  been  great. 

We  do  not  know  how  long  the  missionaries  remained 
in  Salamis,  or  the  manner  in  which  they  took  their  de- 
parture. They  remained  long  enough  to  be  convinced 
that  they  could  do  more  good  elsewhere,  and  then 
departed.  It  was  not  a  little  discouraging  to  achieve 
little  or  no  success  in  the  first  heathen  city  that  they 
attempted  to  evangelize.  Could  they  expect  better 
success  in  other  places  ?  They  did  not  trouble  them- 
selves by  trying  to  forecast  the  future,  but  went 
bravely  forward,  leaving  the  results  with  God.  There 
is  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that  Barnabas  met  a  martyr's 
death  in  Salamis  during  the  reign  of  Nero.  This  is 
only  a  legend,  yet  it  may  be  true.  A  church  and  a 
cave,  both  near  Salamis,  were  dedicated  to  his  memory 
and  bore  his  name. 

Luke  is  very  brief  in  recording  the  movements  of 
the  apostolic  company.  He  hurries  his  readers  along 
unless  he  has  reasons  to  pause.  He  merely  says  that 
they  left  Salamis  and  came  to  Paphos,  passing  through 
the  island  on  the  way.  He  does  not  inform  us  as  to 
any  preaching  on  the  way,  or  the  road  they  travelled 
on  their  journey.  If  any  stops  were  made,  nothing 
occurred  worth  recording.  The  silence  of  the  writer 
tells  the  story.  It  is  about  one  hundred  miles  from 
Salamis  to  Paphos.     The  latter  city  was  the  principal 


First  Missionary  Journey  Begun  8^ 

port  on  the  western  end  of  the  island,  and  the  seat 
of  the  provincial  government.  The  two  cities  were 
connected  by  a  well-paved  and  well-kept  road,  and  it 
is  probable  that  the  missionaries  passed  over  it  in 
their  journey.  The  trip  could  have  been  made  in  a 
short  time,  and  with  comparative  ease.  Sergius 
Paulus,  the  governor  of  the  island,  had  his  official 
residence  at  Paphos. 

When  Saul  and  his  two  companions  arrived  in 
Paphos,  they  found  the  city  under  the  influence  of  a 
powerful  sorcerer  who  claimed  to  possess  some  kind 
of  magic  power.  He  had  a  strong  following,  and 
even  the  governor  had  been  attracted  to  him.  This 
is  not  strange  when  we  consider  the  times,  and  the 
customs  of  the  people.  Many  people  of  wealth  and 
high  social  standing  kept  such  persons  about  them, 
and  held  them  in  high  esteem.  The  oracles  were 
consulted  by  them  on  imjDortaut  occasions,  and,  by 
them,  deep  mysteries  were  supposed  to  be  made  plain. 
This  sorcerer  in  Paphos  was  a  man  of  note.  Perhaps 
he  was  fortune-teller  to  the  governor  and  lived  in  the 
same  house  with  him.  He  was  a  Jew  and  bore  the 
name  of  Bar- Jesus.  He  bore  the  name  of  Elymas  also. 
This  name  is  Arabic  and  means  "The  Wise."  He 
had  most  probably  bestowed  this  name  on  himself  to 
aid  him  in  holding  the  attention  of  the  public. 

The  missionaries  had  not  been  in  the  city  very  long 
until  they  attracted  the  attention  of  the  governor. 
He  was  a  man  of  understanding.  He  invited  them  to 
come  to  the  palace  and  tell  him  the  strange  story  that 
they  had  brought  to  the  city.  This  invitation  to  tell 
the  story  of  Christ  to  the  governor  in  his  own  home 
cam^  to  the  missionaries  as  a  great  surprise,  and 


82  Paul  the  Apostle 

they  made  haste  to  comply  with  it.  They  rejoiced 
at  the  opportunity  to  preach  Christ  to  the  ruler  of  the 
island.  They  arranged  a  time  lor  a  meetiug  with 
him,  aud,  at  the  appointed  hour,  they  stood  in 
the  presence  of  the  heathen  ruler.  It  was  a  momen- 
tous occasion,  and,  to  the  missionaries,  a  thrilling  ex- 
perience. To  their  extreme  chagrin  and  disgust, 
they  found  Elymas  the  sorcerer  in  the  room  with  the 
governor.  They  saw  at  once  that  they  would  meet 
opposition  in  their  efforts  to  win  the  governor  to 
Christ.  They  may  have  had  more  than  one  sitting 
with  him  ;  and  Elymas,  not  willing  to  relinquish  his 
hold  on  him  without  a  struggle,  was  ever  present 
with  him,  and  ready  to  act  in  his  defense. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  as  Saul  was  endeavour- 
ing to  convince  the  governor  of  the  truthfulness  of 
the  Christian  religion,  the  sorcerer  thrust  himself  into 
the  conversation  and  sought  to  dissuade  the  governor 
from  listening,  lest  he  should  be  convinced.  For  a 
while  Saul  endured  this  interference  with  patience, 
but  he  could  see  that  a  crisis  must  soon  come.  He 
saw  that  the  only  way  to  reach  Sergius  Paul  us  with 
the  truth  was  to  break  the  spell  under  which  he  was 
held  by  the  impostor,  aud  this  he  proceeded  to  do. 
With  eyes  flashing  with  righteous  indignation,  Saul 
turned  to  Elymas  and  said  :  ''  O,  full  of  all  guile  and 
all  villainy,  thou  sou  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all 
righteousness,  wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the 
right  ways  of  the  Lord?  and  now,  behold,  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  thee  and  thou  shalt  be  blind,  not 
seeing  the  sun  for  a  season."  As  Saul  finished  this 
speech,  the  sight  of  the  sorcerer  began  to  fade  out. 
There  came  a  glimmer  before  his  eyes,  appearing  like 


First  Missionary  Journey  Begun  83 

fine  mist ;  this  grew  thicker  and  thicker  until  the  last 
ray  of  light  went  out  and  darkness  closed  around 
him.  He  began  to  call  for  some  one  to  lead  him  by 
the  hand.  This  was  a  severe  measure  to  which  Saul 
resorted,  but  it  had  to  be  done  in  order  to  save  the 
governor.  The  blindness  of  Elymas  was  only  tem- 
porary, and  it  is  supposed  that  when  his  sight  re- 
turned he  saw  the  spiritual  light  and  walked  in  it  all 
the  rest  of  his  life. 

Vv^heu  Sergius  Paulus  saw  this  miracle  he  was 
astonished,  and  believed,  Saul  had  fought  a  hard 
battle  and  had  won.  The  governor  became  a  disciple. 
Lake  does  not  mention  the  baptism  of  the  governor, 
and  this  silence  may  indicate  that  he  never  com- 
pleted his  obedience,  but  of  this  we  are  not  certain. 
We  know  that  he  believed,  and  the  statement  of  that 
fact  implies  that  he  obeyed.  It  is  almost  a  matter  of 
regret  that  we  do  not  know  the  history  of  this  man. 
We  should  be  glad  to  know  whether  he  clung  to  his 
Christian  faith  or  reverted  to  heathenism. 

The  readers  of  Acts  note  two  changes  in  regard  to 
the  name  of  Saul  in  connection  with  the  conversion 
of  Sergius  Paulus.  Up  to  this  time  the  name  of 
Barnabas  is  more  prominent  than  that  of  Saul,  being 
mentioned  first ;  thenceforward,  Saul's  name  is  men- 
tioned first,  and  Barnabas  takes  second  place.  The 
only  exception  is  in  Acts  xv.  25.  liTot  only  do  we  see 
this  change  in  the  relative  positions  of  these  names, 
but  Saul's  name  is  itself  changed.  For  the  remainder 
of  his  life  he  is  called  Paul. 

There  was  some  reason  for  these  changes.  Many 
think  that  the  apostle  had  borne  both  of  these  names 
from  childhood.     But,  if  this  be  true,  why  should 


84  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  change  occur  at  this  particular  time  ?  We  are 
bound  to  see  some  connection  between  this  change  of 
name  and  the  conversion  of  Sergius  Paulus.  The 
custom  of  the  Eomaus  to  confer  names  on  persons  in 
honour  of  their  achievements  is  well  known.  Scipio 
conquered  Carthage,  the  dominant  military  power  in 
Africa,  and  in  honour  of  this  conquest  was  called 
Africanus.  When  Caius  Marcius  captured  the  town 
of  Corioli,  he  received  the  name  of  Coriolanus ;  and, 
because  of  his  hortatory  powers,  the  apostles  bestowed 
on  Joseph  of  Cyprus  the  name  of  Son  of  Exhorta- 
tion. In  view  of  these  well-known  facts,  it  is  most 
reasonable  to  believe  that  the  name  Paul  was  given 
to  Saul  at  this  time  in  honour  of  his  achievement  in 
bringing  Sergius  Paulus  to  Christ.  Saul  had  con- 
quered the  governor  with  the  Gospel,  and,  in  honour 
of  this  first  great  triumph  among  the  heathen,  the 
name  of  the  ruler  was  bestowed  upon  him.  He  be- 
came Paulus,  or,  in  plain  English,  Paul.  Hence- 
forth we  are  to  refer  to  him  by  this  name,  for  by  it 
he  is  known  to  the  world. 

The  city  of  Paphos  was  notoriously  wicked.  It 
was  the  seat  of  the  worship  of  Venus,  the  goddess  of 
love.  She  is  said  to  have  risen  from  the  foam  of 
the  sea  and  floated  to  the  shore,  "  a  laughing  girl," 
landing  at  this  spot.  Her  worship  was  performed 
with  the  most  revolting  licentiousness.  The  moral 
standard  was  very  low,  and  religion  was  voluptuous- 
ness. The  missionaries  were  ready  to  depart.  They 
had  planted  the  seed  of  the  kingdom  of  God  hard  by 
the  temple  of  Venus. 


vn 

THE  FIEST  MISSIONAEY  JOUENEY  CONTIN- 
UED :  IN  THE  UPLANDS  OP  ASIA  MINOE 

HAVING  established  the  cause  of  Christ  in 
the  provincial  capital,  the  three  devoted 
heralds  of  the  cross  left  Paphos  for  other 
fields.  They  sailed  from  Cyprus,  towards  the  north- 
west, and  lauded  at  Perga,  a  town  in  the  province  of 
Pamphylia.  We  are  not  certain  why  this  field  was 
chosen.  Different  considerations  may  have  caused 
the  choice.  It  was  a  short  distance  by  sail  from 
Paphos.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Paul  had 
preached  the  Gospel  in  Cilicia  during  his  residence  in 
his  native  city,  before  Barnabas  came  and  took  him 
to  Antioch.  The  adjacent  provinces  were  now  to  de- 
mand his  attention.  For  some  unknown  reason, 
John  Mark  left  his  older  companions  on  the  shore  of 
Pamphylia  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Jerusalem. 
Nothing  is  said  in  this  place  about  Paul's  feelings  at 
being  deserted  by  his  attendant,  but  we  know  that  he 
was  greatly  displeased  on  account  of  it.  This  we 
learn  'from  an  unfortunate  incident  that  occurred 
later,  which  will  receive  attention  in  its  proper  place. 
The  city  of  Perga  was  situated  on  the  river  Cestrus, 
seven  miles  from  the  sea.  The  river  was  navigable 
for  this  distance,  and  the  ship  in  which  they  sailed 
had  an  open  pathway  to  the  city.  The  most  conspic- 
uous object  that  met  their  gaze  on  landing  was  the 

85 


86  Paul  the  Apostle 

temple  of  Diana.  The  city  is  now  in  ruins.  The 
traveller  of  to-day  sees  nothing  but  a  shepherd's 
camp  amid  the  ruins  of  ancient  splendour.  The  nat- 
ural beauty  of  the  site  and  the  numerous  tombs  are 
all  that  remain  to  tell  of  departed  glory. 

North  of  the  city  the  lofty  Taurus  Mountains  with 
their  peaks  capped  with  suow  border  the  horizon. 
These  mountains  with  their  dark  and  difficult  passes, 
dashing  torrents  and  yawning  chasms,  had  to  be 
traversed  by  the  missionaries.  The  danger  attending 
such  a  passage  was  great,  and  it  took  men  of  courage 
and  determination  to  attempt  the  journey.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  natural  perils  to  be  encountered,  there  were 
still  graver  dangers.  The  mountains  were  infested 
with  robbers.  The  Eoman  government,  with  all  its 
vigour  and  power,  had  failed  to  suppress  these  brig- 
ands. 

And  should  the  mountains  be  safely  passed  the 
land  beyond  was  uninviting.  Beyond  the  mountains 
lay  a  broad  elevated  plain  diversified  with  lakes  and 
rivers  and  rugged  hills.  The  people  were  rude  and 
barbarous,  and  many  languages  were  spoken.  It  is 
probable  that  the  knowledge  of  the  hardships  to  be 
met  with  in  such  a  land  and  among  the  wild  tribes 
that  inhabited  it  had  much  to  do  with  Mark's  aban- 
doning his  companions  and  returning  to  Jerusalem. 
Nothing  is  written  of  the  experiences  of  these  men 
in  crossing  the  mountains.  Luke  tells  us  with  char- 
acteristic brevity  that  they  passed  through  Perga  and 
came  to  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  Many  people  from  the 
coast  plain  usually  went  up  into  the  mountains  to 
escape  the  intense  heat  of  summer,  and  it  is  probable 
that  Paul  and  Barnabas  made  the  journey  in  com- 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued       87 

pany  of  oue  of  the  mauy  parties  that  made  this 
annual  migratiou. 

Antioch  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from 
Perga,  but  there  is  nothiug  in  the  brief  narrative  to 
indicate  the  distance.  The  city  was  built  by  Seleucas 
I^ioator,  and  named  in  honour  of  his  father,  Anti- 
ochus,  who  succeeded  Alexander  the  Great  as  king  of 
Syria.  Good  roads  led  from  all  directions  to  the  city, 
making  it  the  center  of  trade  for  a  large  territory. 
The  Jews,  always  and  everywhere  a  commercial 
people,  had  located  there  in  large  numbers,  for  the 
purpose  of  trade.  They  had  erected  one  syjiagogue, 
if  not  more,  and  the  Sabbath  was  regularly  observed. 

Upon  arriving  at  Antioch  the  missionaries  ascer- 
tained the  locality  of  the  synagogue,  and  when  the 
next  Sabbath  came,  they  went  to  the  place  of  worship 
and  went  in  quietly  and  sat  down  among  the  people 
assembled  for  study  and  devotion.  The  regular 
order  of  service  was  the  reading  of  a  lesson  from  the 
law  and  also  one  from  the  prophets,  and  then  fol- 
lowed an  address  based  on  the  passages  read.  After 
the  reading  of  the  lesson,  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue 
sent  some  one  to  these  strange  men  with  an  invitation 
for  one  or  both  of  them  to  address  the  assembly. 
This  was  common  courtesy  due  to  all  strangers.  The 
probability  is,  however,  that  Paul  and  Barnabas  had 
previously  sought  an  opportunity  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  some  of  the  leaders  and  requested  the 
privilege  to  speak.  They  accepted  the  first  oppor- 
tunity that  was  offered  to  them  and  spoke  in  tho 
name  of  Christ. 

Paul  arose  to  address  the  audience.  He  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  people  by  beckoning  with  hig 


88  Paul  the  Apostle 

hand,  and  having  enlisted  the  interest  of  the  people 
by  this  uncommon  gesture,  which  was  a  common  one 
with  him,  he  began  the  address  that  it  is  now  our 
pleasure  to  briefly  study. 

The  speech  made  by  Paul  on  this  occasion  is  strik- 
ingly similar  to  the  one  that  Stephen  delivered  on 
the  day  of  his  death.  Paul  heard  that  speech,  and 
he  never  forgot  it.  It  was  the  model  for  this  one. 
Paul  began  by  referring  to  the  escape  of  the  nation 
from  the  Egyptian  bondage.  The  exodus,  the  forty 
years'  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  the  conquest  of 
Canaan  under  the  leadership  of  Joshua,  the  division 
of  the  land  among  the  Twelve  Tribes, — all  receive 
brief  notice.  The  period  of  the  judges  is  mentioned 
next,  with  the  information  that  this  form  of  govern- 
ment existed  for  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  years. 
Samuel  was  the  last  of  the  judges,  and,  during  his 
term  of  office,  the  nation  became  dissatisfied  and 
asked  for  a  king.  This  request  was  reluctantly 
granted,  and  the  form  of  government  was  changed. 
Saul,  the  first  king,  reigned  forty  years.  God  was 
displeased  with  him,  and  at  his  death  the  dynasty 
was  changed,  though  the  monarchy  continued. 
David  was  the  second  king  of  Israel,  and  to  him 
Jehovah  made  oath  that  one  of  his  descendants 
should  be  the  Christ  and  sit  on  his  throne. 

Having  introduced  the  thought  that  one  should  be 
raised  up  to  occupy  the  throne  of  David,  and  whose 
dominion  was  to  be  everlasting,  the  apostle  referred 
to  Jesus  as  the  promised  One.  God,  according  to 
His  promise,  had  raised  up  unto  Israel  a  Saviour, 
Jesus.  Paul  next  refers  to  John  the  Baptist  and  his 
testimony  concerning  Jesus,  and  then  announced  that 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued      89 

through  Jesus  the  world  could  be  saved.  The  Gos- 
pel of  Christ  was  to  be  the  means  of  salvation.  He 
told  them  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  the  mes- 
sage of  life  should  be  delivered  to  the  Jews  before  it 
reached  the  Gentiles.  They  being  the  descendants 
of  Abraham,  God  gave  them  the  glorious  privilege 
of  hearing  the  Gospel  first. 

The  apostle  next  spoke  of  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus 
as  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  and  made  an  excuse 
for  the  men  who  were  responsible  for  putting  Him  to 
death.  "They  knew  him  not."  Following  the 
record  closely,  Paul  told  his  hearers  that  those  who 
insisted  on  putting  Jesus  to  death  found  no  cause  in 
him  demanding  such  a  penalty.  He  was  murdered 
without  cause.  The  crucifixion,  burial,  and  resur- 
rection are  asserted.  The  statement  that  He  had 
been  raised  from  the  dead  demanded  proof.  The 
apostle  proceeded  to  prove  the  statement  by  declar- 
ing that  many  who  were  His  companions  before  His 
crucifixion  had  seen  Him  and  conversed  with  Him 
after  He  arose  from  the  dead.  These  men  had  been 
with  Him  several  times  between  His  resurrection 
and  ascension.  Forty  days  intervened,  and  these 
friends  of  Jesus  could  not  have  been  mistaken. 
They  had  too  many  opportunities  to  identify  Him 
not  to  be  certain  of  His  identity. 

With  these  facts  before  his  hearers,  Paul  declared 
that  it  was  the  mission  of  himself  and  Barnabas  to 
tell  the  glorious  news  to  the  world.  The  promise 
made  to  the  fathers  had  been  fulfilled  in  the  days 
of  their  children,  and  the  resurrection  had  made 
plain  the  second  Psalm.  The  real  efiicacy  of  the 
death  of  Christ  was  announced  in  these  words  :  *'Be 


90  Paul  the  Apostle 

it  known  unto  yon,  therefore,  men  and  brethren, 
that  througli  this  man  is  preached  unto  you  the  re- 
mission of  sins  ;  and  by  him  all  that  believe  are 
justified  from  all  things  from  which  ye  could  not 
be  justified  by  the  law  of  Moses."  With  a  few 
words  of  exhortation,  the  service  came  to  an  end, 
and  the  congregation  was  dismissed. 

After  the  service,  many  Geutiles  who  were  present, 
numbers  of  them  proselytes  to  the  Jewish  faith,  came 
to  Paul  and  Barnabas  and  requested  them  to  preach 
again  on  the  following  Sabbath.  Many  Jews  also 
followed  them  eager  to  hear  more  of  the  new  and  in- 
teresting teaching.  The  missionaries  were  glad  to 
see  the  deep  interest  manifested  by  the  people,  and 
exhorted  them  to  continue  in  the  grace  of  God. 
Paul  complied  with  the  request  of  the  people,  and 
announced  that  he  would  speak  again  the  next  Sab- 
bath. The  appointment  was  well  advertised,  and  on 
the  day  set  almost  the  entire  population  of  the  city 
came  to  the  synagogue  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 
These  men  who  had  entered  the  city  with  such 
modest  and  quiet  dignity,  and  without  the  least 
ostentation,  by  their  simple  bearing  and  the  divine 
message  that  they  brought,  had  gained  the  good  will 
of  the  people,  and  were  heard  with  gladness. 

The  Jews  were  filled  with  envy  when  they  saw  the 
large  gathering  on  the  second  Sabbath.  Such  crowds 
were  never  known  to  attend  the  regular  services,  and 
the  fact  that  these  strange  men,  with  their  strange 
teaching,  had  come  into  the  city  and  attracted  such 
large  attention  was  more  than  they  could  stand. 
They  began  to  tremble  for  their  own  faith,  and  were 
vigorous  in  their  opposition  to  the  teaching  of  Paul 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued       91 

and  Barnabas.  Prejudice  prompted  their  conduct 
and  jealousy  inflamed  them.  As  Paul  spoke  he  was 
frequently  interrupted  by  Jews  in  the  audience. 
They  disputed  his  words,  belittled  the  message,  and 
blasphemed  the  Christ. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  for  one  to  speak  in  the 
face  of  such  disturbance.  The  patience  of  the  apostle 
was  sorely  tried  and  finally  exhausted,  and,  in  a 
burst  of  righteous  indignation,  he  said:  "It  was 
necessary  that  the  word  of  God  should  have  been 
first  spoken  to  you  :  but  seeing  that  ye  put  it  from 
you,  and  judge  yourselves  to  be  unworthy  of  ever- 
lasting life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles."  This  change 
did  not  frustrate  the  plan  of  God.  Paul  was  called 
for  the  special  purpose  of  ministering  to  the  Gentile 
nations,  and  the  effect  of  this  announcement  was  joy- 
ful to  the  heathen,  and  they  expressed  their  joy  in 
praise  to  the  God  of  Israel  who  had  included  all 
nations  in  His  program  of  mercy.  All  who  desired 
salvation  could  be  saved  without  respect  to  nationality. 
The  number  of  persons  converted  to  Christ  in  Pisid- 
ian  Antioch  is  not  given,  but  the  statement  that  ''the 
word  of  the  Lord  was  published  throughout  all  that 
region  "  suggests  great  numbers,  and  much  activity 
among  the  new  converts. 

The  growing  popularity  of  the  new  religion  aroused 
the  anger  of  the  Jews  to  a  higher  pitch  of  intensity, 
and  prompted  them  to  make  a  desperate  effort  to 
suppress  it.  They  changed  their  plan  of  opposition 
and  called  upon  the  women  of  high  social  and  relig- 
ious standing  to  give  them  their  aid  and  influence, 
and,  having  succeeded  in  forming  this  alliance,  they 
were  in  proper  condiaon  to  begin  active  opposition. 


92  Paul  the  Apostle 

Great  indignation  arose  against  the  missionaries,  and 
they  were  expelled  from  the  city.  Following  the  in- 
struction of  Jesus,  they  shook  the  dust  from  their  feet 
and  departed. 

Having  been  thus  forced  out  of  Antioch,  Paul  and 
Barnabas  went  to  Icouium.  The  disciples  in  Antioch 
were  not  discouraged  over  the  departure  of  their 
leaders.  Their  faith  was  so  firmly  established  that 
they  were  able  to  continue  in  the  grace  of  God  with- 
out apostolic  guidance. 

Leaving  Antioch,  the  missionaries  followed  a  road 
leading  towards  the  southeast,  in  the  direction  of 
Paul's  birthplace.  Beyond  Antioch  this  road  passed 
over  an  extensive  plain.  Travelling  over  this  plain 
and  crossing  a  range  of  mountains,  they  came  to  Ico- 
nium,  ninety  miles  from  Antioch.  This  city  was  one 
of  the  most  important  in  Asia  Minor  and  is  a  flourish- 
ing city  to-day.  The  name  of  the  modern  city  is 
Konieh,  a  corruption  of  the  ancient  name.  Its  walls 
are  two  miles  in  circumference,  but  on  the  east  and 
south  the  city  extends  far  beyond  the  walls.  It  is 
noted  in  history  as  being  the  capital  of  the  Seljukian 
sultans,  the  founders  of  the  Turkish  empire. 

The  government  and  architecture  have  greatly 
changed  since  Paul's  time,  but  the  physical  features 
of  the  city  and  the  surrounding  country  remain  the 
same.  High  mountains  enclose  it  on  three  sides — 
north,  west,  and  south.  Towards  the  east  the  eye 
ranges  over  a  broad  and  extensive  plain,  irregular  in 
its  surface.  The  city  was  a  business  center  for  a  large 
territory,  and  contained  a  synagogue.  We  have  al- 
ready mentioned  the  custom  of  Paul  in  preaching  in 
the  synagogue  as  opportunity  afforded.     The  reg- 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued       93 

ular  meeting-place  of  the  people  was  the  best  point 
from  which  to  begin  the  evangelization  of  a  city.  The 
people  who  were  accustomed  to  attend  the  regular 
services  had  opportunity  to  learn  much  of  the  law 
and  the  prophets,  and  they  were  thereby  better  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  Gospel  than  those  who  had  not 
the  benefit  of  the  information  acquired  in  the  syna- 
gogue. 

Paul  and  Barnabas  went  into  the  synagogue  and 
spoke  to  the  people  the  word  of  life.  They  did  this 
probably  in  response  to  an  invitation,  such  as  they 
had  received  at  Antioch.  They  preached  the  Gospel 
so  earnestly  and  convincingly  that  a  large  number 
turned  to  the  Lord.  This  was  probably  the  largest 
number  converted  at  one  service  since  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  It  was  their  most  successful  effort  so  far 
among  the  heathen.  The  converts  were  of  many 
classes ;  among  them  were  Jews,  proselytes,  and 
heathens.  For  a  brief  period  the  disciples  were  pros- 
perous and  the  city  peaceful.  Trouble  came,  how- 
ever, and  the  ministry  of  the  missionaries  in  the  city 
came  to  an  end.  The  unbelieving  Jews  led  the  op- 
position, and  instead  of  openly  attacking  the  teaching 
of  Paul  and  Barnabas,  they  stirred  up  the  Gentiles 
and  put  them  forward  as  the  apparent  leaders. 

This  opposition  served  to  embolden  the  apostles  and 
caused  them  to  stay  longer  than  they  otherwise  would 
have  done.  The  statement  that  they  tarried  there  a 
''  long  time  "  shows  that  they  did  not  leave  the  city 
at  the  beginning  of  the  opposition,  but  continued  to 
preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  in  the  face 
of  probable  death.  We  have  no  means  of  knowing 
the  exact  import  of  the  words,  ''long  time,"  but  the 


94  Paul  the  Apostle 

apostles  remained  no  longer  than  was  necessary  to 
establish  the  cause  of  Christ  firmly  ;  and  when  they 
saw  that  they  could  be  more  useful  somewhere  else, 
they  departed  from  the  city.  They  were  really  forced 
out  of  the  city  through  the  antagonism  of  the  Jews. 
The  conditions  that  led  to  their  departure  are  given 
by  Luke.  He  tells  us  that  the  Lord  bore  witness  to 
the  word  of  His  grace  by  working  signs  and  wonders. 
These  signs  and  wonders  were  wrought  to  attest  the 
truth,  aud  the  Jews  were  really  afraid  to  use  violence 
in  their  opposition.  They  worked  under  cover  to  ac- 
complish their  designs,  aud  after  securing  the  good 
will  of  the  rulers,  they  laid  a  plan  to  assassinate  the 
missionaries.  Some  friend  learned  of  this  plot  and  in- 
formed Paul  aud  Barnabas  who,  seeing  that  their  use- 
fulness in  the  city  was  ended  for  the  present,  fled  for 
their  lives.  They  could  see  no  good  purpose  to  be 
accomplished  in  risking  death  so  early  in  their  career 
as  pioneers  of  the  missionary  enterprise.  They  could 
serve  God  better  by  liviug  than  by  dying,  and  that 
jras  the  best  reason  why  they  should  preserve  their 
lives. 

The  apostles  continued  to  travel  towards  the  south- 
east. Their  course  led  them  across  a  broad  plain 
towards  the  mountains.  Near  the  base  of  "Kara- 
Dngh,"  or  Black  Mountain,  about  forty  miles  from 
Icouium  stood  tlie  city  of  Lyp.tra  with  Derbe  not  far 
away.  The  site  of  the  city  has  been  identified  in 
recent  times  by  Eamsay.  The  district  of  Lycaonia  in 
which  these  cities  were  located  was  north  of  the 
Taurus  Mountains  and  east  of  the  district  of  Pisidia. 

When  the  missionaries  arrived  in  Lystra  they  were 
greatly  disappointed  to  learn  that  there  was  not  a 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued       95 

synagogue  in  the  city.  At  this  place  they  came  in 
contact  with  phases  of  human  life  that  they  had  never 
encountered  before.  They  found  the  people  much 
ruder  than  the  people  of  Antioch  or  Iconium.  Here 
there  was  no  moralizing  influence  of  the  synagogue, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  life  the  missionaries  were  in 
the  midst  of  real  heathenism,  untouched  by  the  relig- 
ion of  the  Jews.  They  were  now  to  come  in  contact 
with  paganism  in  its  stronghold,  and  in  its  most 
hideous  and  revolting  form.  For  the  lack  of  a  more 
suitable  place,  they  chose  the  open  space  near  one  of 
the  gates  of  the  city  as  the  most  convenient  place  to 
speak  to  the  people  the  message  of  life. 

A  large  number,  attracted  more  through  curiosity 
than  anything  else,  gathered  to  hear  the  speakers, 
and  as  Paul  was  delivering  an  address,  he  noticed  a 
deformed  man  in  the  crowd,  who  appeared  to  be 
listening  with  deep  interest.  His  feet  and  ankles 
were  so  badly  deformed  that  he  had  never  been  able 
to  walk.  He  was  an  object  of  pity.  Seeing  the  op- 
portunity to  do  good  to  an  unfortunate  man  as  well 
as  to  advance  the  cause  of  Christ,  Paul  said  to  him, 
''Stand  upright  on  thy  feet."  The  man,  taken  by 
surprise,  leaped  up  and  walked.  When  the  multi- 
tude saw  what  had  been  done,  they  could  not  account 
for  it  on  any  other  ground  than  that  the  gods  had 
come  down  to  earth  in  the  likeness  of  men. 

The  people  were  astounded  at  the  miracle.  They 
called  Paul  Mercury,  and  Barnabas  Jupiter.  The 
latter  was  the  chief  deity  of  Lystra,  and  in  front  of 
the  city  stood  a  magnificent  temple  dedicated  to  his 
service.  In  mythology,  Jupiter  was  the  father  of  gods 
and  men.     The  simj)le  people  believed  that  the  gods 


96  .    Paul  the  Apostle 

often  visited  tlie  cities  under  their  special  care.  There 
is  a  beautiful  myth  which  describes  a  visit  that  Jupiter 
and  Mercury  made  to  this  same  region.  The  story 
of  the  two  old  people — Philemon  and  Baucis — as  told 
by  Ovid,  was  located  here.  They  entertained  the 
gods  in  their  humble  home,  and  in  return  for  this 
hospitality  received  a  great  blessing.  That  Paul 
and  Barnabas  should  have  been,  by  these  rude 
people,  regarded  as  gods,  is  not  strange.  From  their 
point  of  view  it  was  a  reasonable  and  natural  con- 
clusion. 

The  loud  shouts  of  the  people  over  the  miracle 
caused  Paul  to  pause  in  his  sermon  and  wait  for  them 
to  become  quiet  so  he  could  proceed,  but  before  he 
resumed,  some  one  from  the  throng  slipped  away  un- 
observed and  soon  returned  leading  two  bulls  and 
bearing  a  profusion  of  flowers  to  hang  upon  the  horns 
of  the  animals.  He  moved  towards  the  temple  of 
Jupiter,  intending  to  sacrifice  the  animals  to  the 
humble  missionaries  of  the  cross  as  unto  gods.  The 
priests  were  already  preparing  for  the  service.  The 
crowd  began  to  surge  towards  the  temple,  and  this 
fact  gave  the  apostles  their  first  intimation  as  to  what 
was  about  to  occur. 

We  cannot  describe  the  feelings  of  these  Christlike 
men  when  they  first  realized  that  they  were  about  to 
be  worshipped  as  gods.  They  were  shocked  beyond 
measure.  It  was  a  new  experience  to  them,  and 
utterly  repulsive.  It  took  quick  action  upon  their 
part  to  prevent  the  revolting  service.  "When  they 
became  aware  of  the  real  intention  of  the  people, 
they  rent  their  garments  in  harmony  with  the  oriental 
method  of  expressing  sorrow  or  indignation,  and  ran 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued      97 

into  the  midst  of  the  excited  crowd,  vehemently  pro- 
testing against  such  conduct.  As  soon  as  they  could 
be  heard,  they  declared  that  they  were  men  and  only 
men,  and  not  gods  as  the  Lystrians  believed.  They 
endeavoured  to  assure  the  people  that  such  sacrifices 
should  not  be  made  to  mere  men. 

They  proceeded  to  explain  why  they  had  come  to 
the  city.  Their  mission  as  stated  by  themselves  was 
to  bring  them  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  through 
its  pure  precepts  to  turn  them  from  such  vanities  as 
that  in  which  they  were  about  to  engage.  The  God 
who  had  created  the  universe  and  fed  the  race  by 
means  of  fruitful  seasons,  filling  their  hearts  with 
food  and  gladness,  is  the  only  true  God.  It  was  after 
much  effort  put  forth  by  the  apostles  that  the  heathen 
service  was  prevented.  The  excitement  cooled  down, 
the  crisis  was  passed,  and  the  missionaries  continued 
to  teach  the  way  of  life. 

The  people  were  so  low  down  in  the  scale  of  morals 
and  intelligence  and  so  intensely  heathen  in  their  life 
and  thought  that  they  could  hardly  be  made  to  under- 
stand the  Gospel.  The  report  went  out  concerning 
these  men  who  had  come  to  the  city  as  strangers  and 
had  been  received  as  gods.  The  Jews  of  Antioch 
and  Iconium  heard  this  report  and  came  in  hot  haste 
to  Lystra  where  they  stirred  up  the  people  and  led 
a  great  persecution  against  the  missionaries  and  their 
followers.  The  ignorant  and  unstable  people  were 
not  hard  to  persuade.  A  mob  of  large  proportions 
was  formed,  and  the  apostles  came  to  grief.  One  of 
the  great  crimes  of  history  is  here  recorded  in  few 
words.  Paul  was  stoned,  and  was  thought  to  be 
dead.     His  body,  like  that  of  a  dumb  animal,  was 


98  Paul  the  Apostle 

dragged  outside  the  gate  of  the  city  and  left  unburied. 
What  was  in  Paul's  mind  as  the  stones  began  to  fall 
upon  him  ?  He  must  have  thought  of  Stephen  and 
his  triumphant  death,  and,  if  he  had  fully  learned 
the  lesson  of  the  young  martyr's  death,  he  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  that  his  murderers  might  be  for- 
given. Why  or  how  Barnabas  escaped  similar  treat- 
ment is  not  known. 

As  many  weeping  friends  stood  around  the  appar- 
ently lifeless  body,  indications  of  returning  life  were 
seen  in  his  prostrate  form.  He  was  soon  able  to 
stand  up  and  look  around  upon  his  devoted  friends. 
He  was  dazed.  When  he  came  to  realize  where  he 
was  and  what  had  been  done  to  him,  he  calmly  went 
back  into  the  city,  assisted  by  the  kindly  hands  of 
his  friends.  The  apostle  referred  to  this  bitter  ex- 
perience in  the  last  epistle  that  he  ever  wrote  :  "■  But 
thou  didst  follow  my  teaching,  conduct,  purpose, 
faith,  long-suffering,  love,  patience,  persecutions,  suf- 
ferings ;  what  things  befell  me  at  Antioch,  at  Iconium, 
at  Lystra ;  what  persecutions  I  endured  :  and  out  of 
them  all  the  Lord  delivered  me  "  (2  Tim.  iii.  10,  11). 
In  another  epistle,  while  enumerating  his  suffer- 
ings, he  merely  says,  ''Once  I  was  stoned"  (2  Cor. 
xi.  25). 

The  conjecture  that  Paul's  experience  in  paradise, 
recorded  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Second  Corin- 
thians, occurred  at  this  time  is  a  matter  of  some  in- 
terest. While  his  body  lay  upon  the  ground  outside 
the  city  wall,  his  spirit  may  have  been  in  the  third 
heaven.  It  is  a  pleasing  conjecture  but  extremely 
uncertain. 

On  the  day  following  the  stoning,  Paul  and  Bar- 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued      99 

nabas  left  Lystra  and  went  to  Deibe.  The  site  of 
this  city  has  not  been  identified  beyond  doubt. 
The  modern  Divle,  a  town  of  considerable  impor- 
tance on  the  road  between  Tarsus  and  Lystra,  is 
thought  by  many  scholars  to  be  the  site  of  the  an- 
cient Derbe,  but  no  one  can  speak  with  certainty  on 
this  point.  It  required  a  higli  degree  of  courage  to 
endure  patiently  all  that  these  men  endured.  The 
time  they  spent  in  Derbe,  their  labours  there,  and 
the  circumstances  of  their  departure,  are  passed  over 
in  silence,  but,  when  they  left  that  place,  they  re- 
visited Lystra,  Iconium,  and  Antioch,  "  confirming 
the  souls  of  the  disciples  and  exhorting  them  to  con- 
tinue in  the  faith."  They  appointed  the  necessary 
officers  in  the  churches.  They  had  been  persecuted 
in  all  of  these  cities,  but  were  willing  to  enter  them 
again  for  Christ's  sake.  In  passing  through  the 
scenes  of  their  former  labours,  they  preached  the 
Gospel  without  fear.  Leaving  Antioch,  they  came 
to  Perga,  where  they  landed  on  entering  Asia  Minor, 
and  where  Mark  deserted  them.  They  did  not 
preach  at  Pergu  at  the  time  of  their  first  visit,  and 
we  know  nothing  of  the  results  they  achieved  at  this 
time. 

After  what  seems  to  have  been  a  brief  stay  in 
Perga,  they  went  on  to  Attalia,  a  city  on  the  sea- 
coast,  sixteen  miles  distant  in  a  southwesterly  direc- 
tion. From  this  port  these  men,  ^orn  with  toil  and 
suffering,  embarked  for  Antioch  in  Syria.  The 
church  from  which  these  men  went  forth  on  this 
journey  among  the  heathen  had  probably  not  heard 
fiom  them  since  they  left.  The  only  known  means 
they  had  of  hearing  from  them  was  through  John 


loo  Paul  the  Apostle 

Mark.  If  he  passed  through  Antioch  on  his  way  to 
Jerusalem,  which  is  not  probable,  he  could  have  told 
of  the  incidents  of  the  journey  to  the  time  he  left 
them  on  the  Pamphylian  shore.  The  only  event 
of  importance  was  the  conversion  of  the  governor 
of  Cyprus.  The  most  thrilling  experiences  that  came 
to  Paul  and  Barnabas  occurred  after  Mark  left  them. 
Of  the  incidents  of  the  tour  in  Asia  Minor  the 
church  at  Antioch  had  heard  nothing. 

After  an  absence  of  about  four  years,  these  two 
missionaries  made  their  appearance  unheralded  in 
the  streets  of  Antioch.  They  had  discovered  a  new 
world  and  come  home  to  report.  They  had  finished 
the  most  momentous  journey  ever  undertaken  by 
man  up  to  that  time.  They  had  seen  heathenism  in- 
fluenced by  Judaism,  as  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia ;  they 
had  seen  heathenism  at  home  and  untouched  by  ex- 
ternal influences,  as  at  Lystra,  and  they  had  planted 
the  cause  of  Christ  in  many  places  throughout  Cyprus 
and  Asia  Minor. 

Their  return  to  the  church  that  sent  them  away 
was  a  great  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  congregation. 
As  soon  as  they  arrived,  a  special  meeting  of  the 
church  was  hurriedly  called  to  welcome  them  home 
and  to  hear  their  report  of  their  labours  among  the 
heathen.  Luke's  mention  of  the  report  is  brief: 
' '  They  rehearsed  all  that  God  had  done  with  them, 
and  how  he  had  opened  the  door  of  faith  unto  the 
Gentiles."  Luke  did  not  give  the  report.  Had  he 
done  so,  he  would  have  merely  repeated  the  history 
of  the  journey. 

The  labours  of  the  missionaries  on  the  journey 
from  which  they  returned  in  triumph  had  been  full 


First  Missionary  Journey  Continued     loi 

of  adventure  from  beginning  to  end.  Their  efforts 
had  been  crowned  with  abundant  success.  No  such 
transformations  of  towns  and  cities  had  been  known 
before.  The  success  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Jews  of 
Palestine  was  more  to  be  expected  than  among  the 
Gentiles.  The  law  of  Moses  was  intended  to  prepare 
the  Jews  for  the  Gospel,  but  the  heathen  had  no  such 
prepai-ation.  The  great  victories  won  among  them 
•were  the  more  astonishing.  The  journey  had  occu- 
pied about  four  years'  time  and  the  missionaries  had 
travelled  fourteen  hundred  miles  in  accomplishing  it. 
Leaving  us  to  imagine  the  joy  that  these  tidings 
brought  to  the  church,  the  writer  closes  the  account 
of  the  first  great  missionary  tour  among  the  Gentiles. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  ''abode  long  time"  with  the 
church  at  Autioch.  They  enjoyed  a  well-earned  va- 
cation with  their  home  church. 


VIII 
THE  STATUS  OF  THE  GENTILE  CONVEETS 

WHILE  Paul  and  Baiuabas  were  in  Antioch 
resting  after  their  first  journey  among 
the  Gentiles,  an  unfortunate  controversy 
arose  in  the  church.  Certain  men  came  from  Jeru- 
salem, presumably  from  James,  who  was  recognized 
as  the  leader  of  the  mother  church,  and  taught  that 
all  Gentiles  who  accepted  Christ  should  submit  to 
the  rite  of  circumcision.  They  even  demanded  this 
submission  as  a  condition  of  salvation.  Paul  and 
Barnabas  resisted  these  teachers  and  boldly  defended 
the  freedom  of  the  Gentile  Christians  from  bondage 
to  the  law  of  Moses.  The  church  of  Christ  was  in 
grave  danger  of  being  narrowed  down  into  a  Jewish 
sect.  Paul  had  been  chosen  as  a  special  apostle  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  he  was  fully  conscious  that  what  he 
and  Barnabas  had  done  among  them  was  according 
to  the  will  of  God ;  but  these  men  from  Jerusalem 
were  supposed,  by  the  people  of  Antioch,  to  express 
the  sentiment  of  the  Jerusalem  church  on  the  point 
at  issue. 

In  order  to  settle  the  question,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  consult  the  apostles 
and  elders,  and  report  their  decision.  In  doing  this, 
Paul  did  not  surrender  his  prerogative  as  an  apostle. 
Had  he  been  left  to  his  own  choice,  he  would  not 
have  gone.    He  went  in  obedience  to  divine  direc- 

102 


Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  103 

tion  (Gal.  ii.  2).  He  knew  that  the  apostles  and 
elders  would  api^rove  his  course,  and  that  when  they 
did  this,  the  controversy  would  be  settled  in  the 
minds  of  all  who  regarded  apostolic  authority  as 
binding.  All  who  should  persist  in  preaching  the 
essentiality  of  circumcision  after  the  apostles  had 
spoken  would  be  guilty  of  disregarding  the  author- 
ity given  to  the  apostles  by  the  Master  (Matt, 
xxviii.  18).  He  was,  himself,  anxious  that  the  Jeru- 
salem church  should  gtate  her  position.  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  with  others  whose  names  are  not  given, 
were  appointed  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  state  the  case, 
and  report  the  action  of  the  church. 

Paul  and  his  companions,  en  route  to  Jerusalem, 
passed  through  Phoenicia  and  Samaria  and  made 
known  to  the  churches  the  conversion  of  the  Gen- 
tiles. The  Samaritans  were  not  so  strongly  preju- 
diced against  the  Gentiles  as  were  the  Jews.  The 
Phoenicians  were  mainly  Jews  but  lived  in  intimate 
relationship  to  the  Gentiles  in  both  social  and  busi- 
ness life.  The  news  that  salvation  had  been  offered 
to  the  Gentiles  and  that  many  of  them  had  accepted 
it  caused  joy  in  all  the  churches.  The  journey  was 
not  made  in  haste,  and  probably  much  preaching 
was  done  on  the  way. 

In  due  time  Paul  and  his  companions  arrived  in 
Jerusalem.  Here  Barnabas  had  many  friends  and 
acquaintances.  Paul  was  not  so  well  known.  In  his 
earlier  years  he  had  many  friends  in  the  city,  but 
they  were  chiefly  among  the  opponents  of  the  church. 
He  had  visited  the  city  only  twice  since  he  left  it  to 
go  to  Damascus  on  his  last  mission  of  persecution. 
Both  of  these  visits  were  short.      He  came  from 


104  P2Lu\  the  Apostle 

Damascus  to  Jerusalem,  three  years  after  his  con- 
version, and  remained  fifteen  days,  and  when  the 
church  at  Antioch  sent  relief  to  the  famine- sufferers 
in  Judea,  Paul  and  Barnabas  carried  the  donation. 
His  present  visit  was  his  third  since  his  conversion. 
Many  knew  him  personally,  and  more  by  reputation. 
Peter  was  the  only  apostle  that  Paul  knew  personally 
at  this  time.  It  is  true  that  he  had  met  James,  but 
that  eminent  man  was  not  an  apostle.  On  the  pres- 
ent occasion  he  became  acquainted  with  many  breth- 
ren that  he  had  never  met  before. 

The  reception  of  the  brethren  from  Antioch  was 
kind  and  fraternal.  At  the  first  meeting,  which 
seems  to  have  been  called  more  for  the  purpose  of  be- 
coming acquainted  than  for  any  other  reason,  Paul 
and  Barnabas  took  occasion  to  recount  their  adven- 
tures among  the  Gentiles,  giving  facts  with  which  the 
reader  is  already  familiar.  It  was  an  astounding  re- 
cital that  they  gave,  and  the  audience  listened  with 
sympathetic  attention. 

There  were  some  men  in  the  congregation,  how- 
ever, who  thought  that  the  instruction  given  to  the 
Gentiles  that  had  accepted  Christ  was  incomplete. 
These  strongly  contended  that  all  converted  Gentiles 
should  be  required  to  submit  to  circumcision.  The 
men  who  took  this  position  were  Pharisees  who  had 
accepted  Christ  but  still  clung  to  many  of  their 
former  notions.  After  many  years,  when  Paul  had 
learned  more  about  this  class  of  men,  he  called  them 
false  brethren  (Gal.  ii.  4).  It  was  their  hope  to  keep 
the  church  subject  to  the  law  of  Moses.  They  first 
tried  to  destroy  the  church  by  attacking  it  from  with- 
out ;    and,   failing    in  this,   they  formally    became 


Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  105 

Christians  aud  worked  to  the  same  eud  from  within. 
They  were  the  real  leaders  in  this  contention,  and  the 
men  who  had  disturbed  the  church  at  Antioch  were 
of  their  class. 

Before  the  next  public  meeting,  Paul  and  Barnabas 
had  a  private  conference  with  Peter,  James,  and 
John.  James,  although  not  one  of  the  Twelve,  was 
perhaps  the  most  prominent  man  in  the  church,  and 
was  regarded  by  all  as  one  of  the  best  aud  wisest  of 
men.  He  was  the  Lord's  brother,  but,  in  the  only 
epistle  that  we  have  from  him,  he  modestly  calls  him- 
self "James,  a  servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  Paul  arranged  for  this  meeting  with  the 
apostles  in  private,  that  they  might  let  him  know 
how  they  stood  on  the  question  to  be  decided.  He 
expected  them  to  endorse  him  and  believed  that  they 
would  do  so,  but  he  wanted  to  be  certain  as  to  their 
position.  If  he  had  found  them  on  the  side  of  the 
Pharisees  he  would  have  lost  his  contention,  and  the 
church  would  have  been  thrown  backward  into 
Judaism.  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  glad,  though  not 
surprised  to  find  that  Peter,  James,  and  John  held  the 
same  view  as  themselves.  Paul  knew  that  he  was  in 
the  right  even  before  he  left  Antioch  ;  and  long  after 
this,  he  wrote  that  Peter,  James,  and  John  imparted 
nothing  to  him  (Gal.  ii.  6). 

Having  arrived  at  an  understanding  with  these 
"pillars,"  as  Paul  called  them  in  his  Epistle  to  the 
Galatians,  he  was  ready  to  bring  the  subject  once 
more  before  the  assembled  congregation.  Another 
meeting  was  called  aud  the  discussion  reopened. 
The  apostles  permitted  the  Judaizers  to  present  their 
side  of  the  case  first.     Their  speeches  and  arguments 


io6  Paul  the  Apostle 

are  not  given,  but  in  reply  to  them,  whatever  they 
were,  Peter,  Paul,  Barnabas,  and  James  each  had 
something  to  say.  After  the  Judaizers  had  stated 
their  case,  Peter  spoke  in  reply  : 

"Brethren,  ye  know  that  a  good  while  ago  God 
made  choice  among  you,  that  by  my  mouth  the 
Gentiles  should  hear  the  word  of  the  gospel,  and  be- 
lieve. And  God,  who  knoweth  the  heart,  bare  them 
witness,  giving  them  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  as  he  did 
unto  us  j  and  he  made  no  distinction  between  us  and 
them,  cleansing  their-  hearts  by  faith.  Now  there- 
fore why  make  ye  trial  of  God,  that  ye  should  put  a 
yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples  which  neither 
our  fathers  nor  we  were  able  to  bear  ?  But  we  be- 
lieve that  we  shall  be  saved  through  the  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  in  like  manner  as  they."  When  he  had 
thus  spoken,  he  sat  down. 

Barnabas  spoke  next  and  was  followed  by  Paul. 
These  speeches  are  not  recorded.  They  were  of  con- 
siderable length,  and  gave  the  account  of  the  won- 
ders that  God  had  done  by  them  among  the  Gentiles. 
If  Luke  had  recorded  these  speeches,  he  would  have 
but  repeated  the  history  found  in  the  thirteenth  and 
fourteenth  chapters  of  Acts.  He  was  wise  to  omit  the 
repetition.  God  had  approved  the  admission  of 
Gentiles  into  the  church,  in  the  home  of  Cornelius. 
He  had  also  enabled  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  work  signs 
and  wonders  amoDg  the  Gentiles,  thereby  showing 
His  endorsement  of  these  men.  He  would  not  have 
given  them  power  to  do  anything  out  of  harmony 
with  His  will ;  consequently,  what  they  did  met  His 
approval. 

James  was  the  next  speaker.     He  followed  a  dif- 


Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  107 

ferent  line  of  aigument,  discussing  the  question  in 
the  light  of  tlie  Old  Testament.  He  showed  that  the 
salvation  of  the  Gentiles  was  contemplated  in  the 
program  of  Jesus,  as  shown  forth  by  the  prophets, 
and  that  they  had  equal  rights  with  the  Jews  to  the 
fellowship  of  the  church,  and  to  eternal  life  as  well. 
He  spoke  as  follows  : 

"Brethren,  hearken  unto  me:  Symeon  hath  re- 
hearsed how  first  God  visited  the  Gentiles,  to  take 
out  of  them  a  people  for  his  name.  And  to  this  agree 
the  words  of  the  prophets  ;  as  it  is  written,  After 
these  things  will  I  return,  and  I  will  build  again  the 
tabernacle  of  David,  which  is  fallen  ;  and  I  will  build 
again  the  ruins  thereof,  and  I  will  set  it  up  :  that  the 
residue  of  men  may  seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the 
Gentiles,  ujjon  whom  my  name  is  called,  saith  the 
Lord,  who  maketh  these  things  known  from  of  old. 
Wherefore  my  judgment  is,  that  we  trouble  not  them 
that  turn  from  among  the  Gentiles  to  God  ;  but  that 
we  write  unto  them,  that  they  abstain  from  the  pollu- 
tions of  idols,  and  from  fornication,  and  from  what  is 
strangled,  and  from  blood.  For  Moses  from  genera- 
tions of  old  hath  in  every  city  them  that  preach  him, 
being  read  in  the  synagogue  every  Sabbath." 

Luke,  in  introducing  the  last  speaker,  tells  us  that 
James  "  answered."  He  met  the  opponents  of  Chris- 
tianity by  quoting  Amos  ix.  11,  12.  The  answer  was 
complete.  The  other  persons  who  participated  in 
these  deliberations  concurred  in  the  recommenda- 
tion offered  by  James,  and  the  troublesome  question 
was  harmoniously  settled.  The  only  unfinished  busi- 
ness before  the  body  was  to  adopt  a  plan  by  which 
the  suggestion  of  James  could  be  carried  out. 


io8  Paul  the  Apostle 

The  plan  adopted  was  to  send  a  written  decree  to 
the  church  at  Antioch,  and  also  to  send  two  of  their 
own  brethren,  Judas  and  Silas,  with  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas, to  report  verbally  the  decision  of  the  apostles 
and  elders.  They  sent  the  following  letter  which  was 
intended  to  circulate  among  the  churches  : 

"The  apostles  and  elders,  brethren,  unto  the 
brethren  who  are  of  the  Gentiles  in  Antioch  and 
Syria  and  Cilicia,  greeting  :  Forasmuch  as  we  have 
heard  that  certain  who  went  out  from  us  have  troub- 
led you  with  words,  subverting  your  souls  ;  to  whom 
we  gave  no  such  commandment ;  it  seemed  good  to 
us,  having  come  to  one  accord,  to  choose  out  men  and 
send  them  unto  you  with  our  beloved  Barnabas  and 
Paul,  men  that  have  hazarded  their  lives  for  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  have  sent  there- 
fore Judas  and  Silas,  who  themselves  shall  also  tell 
you  the  same  things  by  word  of  mouth.  For  it 
seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Spirit  and  to  us  to  lay 
upon  you  no  greater  burden  than  these  necessary 
things  :  that  ye  abstain  from  things  sacrificed  to 
idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from  things  strangled,  and 
from  fornication  ;  from  which  if  you  keep  yourselves, 
it  shall  be  well  with  you.  Fare  ye  well"  (Acts 
XV.  24-29). 

This  has  been  declared  by  Neander  to  be  the  first 
public  document  of  the  Christian  church,  and  the 
statement  is  worthy  of  acceptance.  "We  are  abso- 
lutely certain  that  it  is  older  than  any  of  the  apos- 
tolic epistles,  and  there  is  much  reason  to  believe 
that  it  was  written  before  any  of  the  gospel  narra- 
tives. 

This  decree  of  the  apostles  and  elders  circulated 


Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  109 

among  the  churches  as  a  separate  commuuication  till 
it  was  made  a  part  of  the  written  history  of  the 
early  church,  aud  incorporated  into  the  Book  of  Acts. 
The  inspiration  of  the  document  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  guided  the  men  who  framed  it. 

Many  have  erroneously  regarded  this  meeting  in 
Jerusalem  as  a  general  council  of  the  church.  Grave 
historians  have  called  it  the  first  church  council. 
The  fact  is  that  it  was  not  in  any  sense  a  church 
council.  All  the  messengers  were  from  the  one  con- 
gregation at  Antioch,  and  there  was  no  general  repre- 
sentation of  the  churches.  At  this  time  Samaria, 
Phoenicia,  Cyprus,  and  large  portions  of  Asia  Minor 
are  known  to  have  been  evangelized.  Many  congre- 
gations had  been  established  in  these  countries,  aud 
not  one  of  them  had  a  representative  in  the  meeting 
in  Jerusalem. 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  Paul  was  pleased  with  the 
result  of  the  conference.  The  course  that  he  and 
Barnabas  had  followed  among  the  Gentiles  had  been 
endorsed  by  the  apostles,  with  the  entire  congrega- 
tion concurring.  The  Holy  Spirit  had  guided  the 
deliberations.  This  decision  fixed  the  status  of  the 
Gentiles  in  the  Christian  church. 

The  messengers,  accompanied  by  Judas  and  Silas, 
returned  to  Antioch.  A  meeting  of  the  church  was 
called  aud  the  epistle  was  read  to  the  assembled  con- 
gregation. All  rejoiced  to  hear  the  decision.  From 
the  second  chapter  of  Galatians  we  learn  that  Titus, 
a  Gentile,  went  with  Paul  on  this  mission  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  that  the  Judaizers  made  a  strong  effort  to 
force  him  to  submit  to  the  rite  of  circumcision.  We 
do  not  know  how  Titus  received  this  suggestion,  but 


1  lo  Paul  the  Apostle 

Paul  refused  to  permit  the  rite  to  be  performed.  The 
apostle  thus  won  a  victory  for  the  liberty  that  is  iu 
Christ.  The  church  sustained  Paul,  aud  Titus  was 
not  forced  to  submit.  The  decisiou  settled  the  ques- 
tion as  to  its  legality,  but  it  did  not  stop  the  work  of 
the  Judaizers.  They  gave  Paul  much  trouble  iu  after 
years  by  following  him  from  place  to  place  and  try- 
ing to  counteract  his  influence. 

Judas  and  Silas  remained  for  a  while.  They  were 
prophets  of  great  power  and  efficiency,  and  their 
presence  was  a  blessing  to  the  church.  Paul  and 
Barnabas  also  tarried  a  while  in  the  city.  They  had 
laboured  hard  for  more  than  foui-  years,  and  a  period 
of  comparative  ease  and  rest  was  necessary.  During 
the  time  that  Paul  spent  in  Antioch,  after  his  return 
from  Jerusalem,  Peter's  visit  to  the  Gentile  city 
most  probably  occurred.  This  episode  is  not  men- 
tioned in  Acts,  but  Paul  discusses  it  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Galatiaus.  A  controversy,  omitted  by 
Luke,  is  mentioned  by  Paul  as  having  occurred  at 
Antioch,  and  it  must  have  taken  place  at  this  time. 
The  controversy  did  not  involve  any  of  the  points 
passed  upon  by  the  church  in  Jerusalem  and  em- 
bodied in  the  decree  that  was  issued.  The  conten- 
tion at  Antioch  was  over  a  question  of  social  inter- 
course between  Jews  and  Gentiles,  aud  not  the 
religious  rights  of  either.  Peter  would  not  recognize 
the  Gentile  Christians  socially,  aud  stood  aloof  from 
them.  Paul  was  much  displeased  at  Peter's  conduct, 
and  gave  him  a  public  rebuke  for  it ;  but  the  ques- 
tion of  the  social  relation  of  the  Jews  and  Gentiles 
had  not  been  discilssed  in  Jerusalerb,  and  hbthiflg 
bearing   dn  it  tad  been  embodied  in  the  decree. 


Status  of  the  Gentile  Converts  1 1 1 

Although  Peter's  conduct  was  not  expedient,  it  did 
not  in  any  way  violate  the  provisions  of  the  decree 
to  which  he  had  assented  in  Jerusalem.  He  had  only 
refused  to  live  in  free  social  intercourse  with  the 
Gentiles.  His  act  was  not  necessarily  sinful,  but,  to 
say  the  least,  very  inconsistent. 

Judas  returned  to  Jerusalem,  but  Silas  preferred  to 
remain  in  Antioch.  As  matters  turned  out,  it  was 
very  fortunate  for  him  that  he  decided  to  remain. 
He  became  one  of  the  most  useful  and  best  known 
companions  of  Paul.  Failing  to  return  to  Jerusalem 
gave  him  his  opportunity.  He  was  with  the  apostle 
in  many  bitter  experiences  and  shared  his  toils 
through  many  years  ;  and  in  him  Paul  reposed  the 
fullest  confidence.  This  confidence  was  never  shaken, 
but  remained  firm  to  the  end. 


IX 

THE  SECOND  MISSIONAEY  JOURNEY  BE- 
GUN :  FEOM  ANTIOCH  TO  PHILIPPI 

A  GEE  AT  period  of  prosperity  was  enjoyed  by 
the  church,  in  Antioch.  The  many  excellent 
men  who  were  present  and  at  work  caused 
the  influence  of  the  church  to  become  widely  extended ; 
and,  in  the  midst  of  this  growth  and  good  feeling, 
Paul  was  planning  larger  things.  He  could  not  be 
content  to  see  so  many  strong  preachers  concentrating 
their  labours  in  one  church,  when  the  mission  stations 
that  he  and  Barnabas  had  planted  among  the  heathen 
were  in  such  great  need  of  competent  instructors.  To 
strengthen  these  mission  churches  was  the  motive  for 
the  second  tour  among  the  Gentiles. 

Paul  proposed  that  they  should  revisit  the  places 
where  they  had  preached  the  Gospel,  and  look  into 
the  condition  of  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  various 
churches.  To  this  Barnabas  readily  consented,  and 
they  prepared  to  begin  their  journey.  It  was  under- 
stood between  them  that  this  was  to  be  a  revisitation 
of  the  churches  already  established,  but  circumstances 
made  it  expedient  for  them  to  extend  their  labours 
far  beyond  the  remotest  point  visited  on  their  first 
tour. 

When  the  time  came  to  start,  the  deplorable  diflS- 
culty  between  Paul  and  Barnabas  occurred.  Barna- 
bas wanted  to  take  Mark  along  with  them,  but  to  this 

112 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      1 13 

Paul  was  stroDgly  opposed.  The  fact  that  Mark  was 
a  kiusmau  of  Barnabas  would  cause  tlie  latter  to  de- 
sire his  preseuce  aud  assistance  ou  the  jouruey,  but 
Paul  remembered  that  Mark  had  deserted  them  iu 
Pamphylia  ou  the  previous  jouruey,  aud  was  uot 
Willi ug  to  trust  him  a  secoud  time,  Mark  had  beeu 
tested  aud  fouud  wautiug.  Each  couteuded  to  have 
his  owu  will,  aud  ueither  was  willing  to  submit  to  the 
other.  They  had  ''  sharp  contention"  aud  parted  in 
auger.  This  shows  that  they  were  men.  The  com- 
radeship of  years  was  abruptly  broken. 

Barnabas  had  done  much  for  Paul.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  when  Paul  came  to  Jerusalem  after  his 
escape  from  Damascus,  it  was  Barnabas  who  came  to 
his  assistance  and  induced  the  brethren  in  that  city  to 
receive  him  into  their  full  confidence  as  a  brother. 
They  had  refused  to  recoguize  Paul  as  a  disciple,  but 
the  brotherly  deed  of  Barnabas  overcame  their  fear  ; 
and  when  Paul  first  came  to  Antioch,  Barnabas 
brought  him.  They  had  been  companions  in  joy  and 
sorrow,  success  and  failure,  prosperity  aud  persecu- 
tion. Barnabas  had  reason  to  regard  Paul  as  un- 
reasonable at  this  time  in  denying  him  the  pleasure 
that  the  preseuce  of  his  kinsman  would  afford. 

Ou  the  other  hand,  Paul  loved  Barnabas  as  a 
brother,  and  felt  deeply  grateful  to  him  for  his  many 
acts  of  kindness,  but  he  was  not  willing  to  trust  a 
man  who  had  once  been  tested  and  fouud  unreliable. 
An  agreement  was  never  reached.  Barnabas  pre- 
ferred to  separate  from  Paul  rather  than  from  his  owu 
relative,  aud,  accordingly,  took  Mark  aud  sailed  for 
Cyprus.  With  this  act  this  great  and  good  man  dis- 
appears from  history. 


114  Paul  the  Apostle 

Paul's  feeling  towards  Barnabas  many  years  later 
was  kind  and  brotherly.  He  mentioned  his  name  in 
the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  (1  Cor.  ix.  6). 
We  learn  also  that  Paul's  confidence  in  Mark  was 
afterwards  fully  restored  (2  Tim.  iv.  11).  God 
makes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him.  The  parting 
of  Paul  and  Barnabas  was  apparently  unfortunate, 
but  really  the  separation  resulted  in  good,  although 
the  manner  of  it  was  deplorable.  Barnabas  and  Mark 
visited  some  of  the  churches  that  were  included  in 
Paul's  plan,  and  Paul  himself  went  to  the  rest  of 
them.  It  is  believed  that  Barnabas  lived  and  died  in 
Cyprus.  Beference  has  already  been  made  to  his 
traditional  burial  place  near  Salamis. 

Paul  chose  Silas,  also  called  Silvanus,  who  had 
come  from  Jerusalem  with  him  and  Barnabas,  when 
they  returned  from  the  conference,  and  being  solemnly 
commended  to  the  favour  of  God  by  the  brethren, 
they  began  the  second  great  missionary  journey. 
They  passed  through  Syria  and  Cilicia,  and  strength- 
ened the  young  and  struggling  churches.  They  went 
through  the  pass  known  as  the  *'  Syrian  Gates,"  into 
the  country  beyond  the  mountains,  and  Paul's  native 
province  was  revisited. 

In  previous  years  Paul  had  preached  in  this  dis- 
trict and  also  in  Syria  (Gal.  i.  21).  This  preaching 
was  done  between  his  departure  to  Tarsus  (Acts 
ix.  30)  and  arrival  at  Antioch  (Acts  xi.  25).  He 
was  among  his  old  friends.  About  four  years  had 
elapsed  between  his  arrival  in  his  home  city  and  his 
first  appearance  in  Antioch,  whither  he  went  in  com- 
pany with  Barnabas  who  had  come  to  Tarsus  seeking 
for  him.     These  years  were  spent  in  his  own  province 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      1 15" 

and  those  atljaceut  to  it.  He  had  doue  much  work 
that  is  not  recorded.  His  frieuds  aud  acquaintances 
iu  the  churches  which  he  visited  at  this  time  were 
glad  to  see  him  and  hear  him  again.  It  was  a  happy 
time  to  all. 

No  details  are  given  regarding  the  ministry  of  Paul 
aud  Silas  in  these  districts.  Luke  seems  to  hurry  us 
on  to  other  persons  aud  events  of  more  prominence. 
They  made  a  brief  stop  at  Derbe,  aud  passed  on  to 
Lystra.  Nothing  is  said  by  Paul  or  Luke  about  the 
bold  and  beautiful  scenery  through  which  they 
journeyed.  They  passed  through  the  mountain  gap 
known  as  the  Cilician  Gates  to  the  uplands  beyond 
the  Taurus.  Emerging  from  this  gateway,  they 
turned  towards  the  west  and  travelled  in  that  direction 
till  they  came  to  Lystra.  This  was  the  place  where 
Paul  had  been  stoned  on  his  first  visit  a  few  years  be- 
fore. The  brethren  were  pleasantly  surprised  at  this 
unexpected  visit,  and  no  doubt  many  of  them  en- 
quired about  Barnabas,  aud  where  they  both  had 
been  and  what  they  had  done  since  their  former 
visit. 

The  most  interesting  and  important  fact  that  oc- 
curred on  the  present  visit  was  the  discovery  of  Timo- 
thy. He  was  evideutiy  converted  on  the  occasiou  of 
the  previous  visit,  though  the  fact  is  not  mentioned  in 
recounting  the  incidents  of  it.  Paul  ever  regarded 
Timothy  as  his  son  iu  the  Gospel.  Timothy  had  beeu 
reared  uuder  favourable  circumstauces.  His  mother 
and  grandmother  were  both  devoutly  religious,  aud 
they  left  the  impress  of  their  character  upon  him. 
Tliey  had  tanghthim  the  Scriptures  from  his  infancy. 
He  was  hardly  beyond  childhood  when  he  was  con- 


1 16  Paul  the  Apostle 

verted  to  Christ.  His  father  was  a  Gentile.  Timothy- 
had  grown  iu  every  way  during  Paul's  absence.  He 
was  noted  for  his  Christian  character,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  he  had  already  begun  to  preach.  He  not 
only  had  a  good  reputation  at  home,  but  as  far  away 
as  Iconium  he  was  well  known  and  highly  esteemed. 

Paul's  discerning  eye  was  quick  to  detect  in  this 
youth  the  elements  of  genuine  manhood.  Being  so 
well  pleased  with  his  improvement  since  he  saw  him 
last,  Paul  chose  him  as  an  associate  and  took  him 
along  with  him  as  a  fellow-worker,  Timothy's 
father  being  a  Gentile,  the  circumcision  of  the  son 
had  been  neglected.  Paul  performed  this  rite  for  him 
in  order  that  the  Jews  might  have  no  occasion  to  ob- 
ject to  him  as  a  religious  teacher.  The  apostle  has 
been  accused  of  inconsistency  on  the  question  of  cir- 
cumcision. When  in  Jerusalem  he  had  refused  to 
allow  Titus  to  be  circumcised  when  many  of  the  Jew- 
ish Christians  demanded  it,  and  in  Lystra  he  cir- 
cumcised Timothy  because  of  the  Jews  who  were  in 
those  parts. 

The  fact  that  he  did  not  allow  Titus  to  be  circum- 
cised was  to  carry  the  point  that  submission  to  the 
rite  was  not  to  be  demanded  of  Gentile  converts. 
Titus  was  a  Gentile.  Had  Paul  submitted  to  the 
demands  of  the  Judaizers,  the  principle  would  have 
been  established  that  "except  ye  be  circumcised 
after  the  manner  of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved." 
The  Gospel  would  have  been  bound  by  fetters  of  steel, 
and  the  libeTty  that  is  in  Christ  would  never  have 
been  enjoyed  by  the  Gentile  Christians.  "We  can  see 
clearly  why  Paul  took  a  firm  stand.  The  case  of 
Timothy  was  vastly  different  from  that  of  Titus. 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      117 

His  motlier  was  a  Jewess,  aud  circumcision  was  a 
Jewish  rite.  Moreover,  the  decree  issued  from  Jeru- 
salem, under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  had 
settled  the  question  that  circumcision  should  not  be 
required  of  Gentile  converts.  It  is  well  known  that 
Paul  regarded  circumcision  as  nothing  and  uncir- 
cumcision  as  nothing,  but  he  was  willing  to  make  a 
harmless  concession  to  a  popular  sentiment  when 
there  was  no  principle  involved.  He  was  all  things 
to  all  men,  when  to  be  such  best  served  God.  It  was 
purely  a  question  of  expediency,  and,  in  no  sense, 
one  of  law. 

After  Timothy  had  joined  himself  to  Paul  and 
Silas  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  the  three  went  on 
together  among  the  churches,  giving  them  the  decree 
that  was  issued  from  Jerusalem,  fixing  the  status 
of  the  Gentiles  in  the  church  of  Christ.  When  the 
question  became  fully  understood,  the  churches  were 
much  encouraged,  and  men  aud  women  turned  to 
God  in  large  numbers.  By  virtue  of  the  decree,  the 
Gentiles  and  the  Jews  could  mingle  together  in  the 
fullness  of  Christian  fellowship,  and  God's  people 
were  one. 

From  Lystra  the  missionaries  continued  their  west- 
ward course  through  the  highlands  of  Asia  Minor. 
Phrygia  and  Galatia  were  evangelized.  We  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Gosjiel  won  greater  vic- 
tories in  the  latter  province  than  anywhere  else  in 
the  peninsula.  In  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Galatians 
we  learn  that  it  was  becanse  of  an  infirmity  that 
came  upon  him  while  passing  through  their  country 
he  had  preached  the  Gospel  to  them  at  first.  Over- 
taken with  some  kind  of  illness,  he  was  forced  to  dis- 


1 18  Paul  the  Apostle 

continue  his  labours  for  a  while.  During  his  conva- 
lescence, and  for  some  time  thereafter,  he  preached 
throughout  that  region.  The  Galatiaiis  were  the 
descendants  of  some  wild  tribes  from  Gaul.  They 
had  wandered  eastward  and  settled  in  Asia  Minor 
before  the  time  of  Christ,  and  had  become  firmly 
fixed  in  their  new  home. 

Having  finished  their  work  in  Galatia,  Paul  and 
his  two  companions  started  to  go  into  the  province 
of  Asia,  the  small  district  in  which  the  city  of  Ephe- 
sus  was  located  ;  and  for  the  first  time  since  his  con- 
version, the  apostle  found  his  plans  out  of  harmony 
with  the  plan  of  God.  He  was  not  permitted  to 
enter  Asia,  for  the  reason  that  God  could  use  him 
and  his  associates  to  better  advantage  elsewhere. 
The  Holy  Spirit  interposed  and  turned  him  back 
from  the  border  of  the  province.  The  small  district 
of  Bithynia  lay  to  the  north,  and  Paul's  next  move 
was  in  that  direction.  Again  he  met  divine  oppo- 
sition, and  was  forced  to  turn  back.  He  seemed  to 
be  at  a  standstill.  He  had  evangelized  the  countries 
behind  him,  and  was  forbidden  to  turn  either  to  the 
left  or  to  the  right.  If  he  moved  at  all,  he  must  go 
forward.  The  apostolic  company  accordingly  kept 
onward  towards  the  northwest  till  they  reached  the 
^gean  Sea  at  Troas,  near  the  site  of  the  ancient  city 
of  Troy.  The  sea  forming  a  natural  barrier  to  fur- 
ther progress,  they  were  compelled  to  halt  and  wait 
for  a  favourable  opportunity  to  continue  their  labours 
— but  they  did  not  have  to  wait  long. 

Some  time  during  the  first  night  at  Troas,  Paul  had 
a  vision  in  which  he  received  divine  direction  for  his 
movements.     In  his  dreams  he  looked  across  the  sea 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      1 19 

to  the  European  shore,  saw  a  mau  of  Macedonia,  and 
heard  him  say  in  j)leadiug  tones,  "Come  over  into 
Macedonia  and  help  us."  The  apostle  was  thus 
bidden  to  cross  the  soa  and  carry  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation  to  the  nations  beyond.  This  vision 
made  a  deep  impression  on  Paul,  and,  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  he  related  it  to  his  companions. 
They  all  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  Lord  had 
called  them  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Macedonia. 
They  interpreted  the  vision  as  an  indication  of  God's 
desire,  and  acted  in  accordance  with  it. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  author  of  the  Book 
of  Acts  was  with  Paul  at  this  time.  We  learn  this 
by  the  use  of  the  pronouns  ''we"  and  "  us."  It  is 
evident  that  Luke  joined  the  party  some  time  after 
they  left  Galatia,  most  probably  at  Troas.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  Paul  and  Silas  left  Antioch  in  Syria 
together,  that  they  found  Timothy  at  Lystra  and 
took  him  along  with  them,  and  that  Luke  joined 
them  as  they  were  about  to  start  for  Macedonia. 

Troas  was  a  place  of  great  historic  interest,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Hellespont.  It  would  be  interest- 
ing to  linger  here  long  enough  to  gather  up  some  of 
the  facts  and  legends  connected  with  the  place,  but 
as  these  are  in  no  way  connected  with  the  life  of 
Paul,  we  forbear  in  order  to  follow  him  and  his  com- 
panions over  the  sea.  As  soon  as  these  four  men 
reached  the  decision  to  invade  Europe  as  the  ad- 
vance guard  of  the  Lord's  army,  they  made  their 
arrangements  to  continue  the  journey.  They  went 
to  the  dock  and  found  a  ship  just  ready  to  sail  to 
Neapolis,  on  the  Macedonia  shore.  Without  losing 
any  time,  they  went  aboard  and  sailed  away  towards 


120  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  sunset.  This  was  Timothy's  first  sea  voyage. 
He  was  farther  from  home  than  he  had  ever  been 
and  going  farther  still. 

At  this  time  they  did  not  know  God's  plan  concern- 
ing themselves.  They  were  conscious,  however,  that 
they  were  hastening  to  the  West  for  the  glory  of 
Christ,  and  that  was  all  they  knew.  We  learn  in- 
cidentally that  tiie  wind  favoured  them,  and  that  it 
was  unusually  strong.  They  made  the  voyage  in 
two  days.  Paul  and  his  company,  on  the  last  jour- 
ney to  Jerusalem,  sailed  over  this  route,  in  the  oppo- 
site directiou,  and  it  took  them  five  days  to  accom- 
plish the  passage  (Acts  xx.  6).  This  shows  to  us, 
more  clearly  than  the  missionaries  could  see  at  the 
time,  how  God  was  directing  their  movements. 

A  few  devout  women  were  praying  in  Philippi, 
and  God  was  hastening  to  answer  their  prayers  by 
means  of  these  men.  The  missionaries  could  look 
back,  after  the  sequel  became  known,  and  see  the 
guiding  hand  of  God  in  all  their  movements.  They 
could  see  why  they  were  turned  back  from  the 
borders  of  Asia  and  Bithynia,  and  why  they  had  but 
one  night's  rest  in  Troas.  It  was  also  made  plain  to 
them  why  they  found  a  ship  just  ready  to  put  to  sea, 
and  why  the  wind  favoured  them  ;  but,  as  yet,  they 
did  not  understand  the  reasons  that  controlled  their 
movements. 

Their  first  day's  sail  brought  them  to  Samothrace, 
an  island  in  the  iEgean  Sea,  about  midway  between 
Troas  and  Neapolis.  Under  the  rugged  shore  of  this 
island  they  passed  the  night,  and  on  the  next  day, 
late  in  the  afternoon,  they  landed  at  Neapolis. 
George  E.  Wendling  has  said  that  the  greatest  event 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      121 

that  ever  occurred  iu  Europe  was  the  laudiug  of  Paul 
upon  lier  shores.  To  this  we  cheerfully  agree.  Tliat 
eveut  begau  the  evaugelizatiou  of  Europe,  aud  that 
iuvolved  the  evaugelizatiou  of  America,  and  that, 
still  further,  involves  the  evaugelizatiou  of  the  world. 

Philippi  was  teu  miles  from  Neapolis  towards  the 
uorthwest,  aud  without  halting  at  the  point  where 
they  lauded,  they  pushed  on  to  that  inland  city.  It 
may  have  been  that  they  passed  the  night  in  Ne- 
apolis,  and  left  for  Philippi  early  on  the  following 
morning,  or  they  may  have  gone  to  the  latter  place 
on  the  same  day  they  landed,  and  arrived  after  night- 
fall. In  either  case  no  time  was  lost  on  the  way. 
They  passed  over  a  high  ridge  aud  down  into  the 
plain  through  which  the  River  Gaugites  winds  its 
way,  and,  iu  approaching  the  city,  they  crossed  this 
stream. 

It  was  at  Philippi,  uinety-four  years  before  this, 
that  the  final  struggle  between  the  republican  aud 
imperial  armies  of  Rome  occurred.  Brutus  was  de- 
feated by  Octavius  ;  the  republic  fell  and  the  empire 
was  established.  Brutus  took  his  life  after  the  battle, 
aud  Octavius  was  made  emperor,  assuming  the  title 
of  Ciesar  Augustus.  These  soldiers  of  the  cross 
passed  over  the  battle-field  as  they  drew  near  to  the 
city.  They  had  come  to  conquer,  but  not  with  the 
weapons  of  carual  warfare.  They  had  come  in  the 
interest  of  no  human  tyraut,  or  to  oppress  their  fel- 
low men.  Their  mission  was  one  of  service  to  the 
Prince  of  Peace. 

In  this  city  there  lived  a  woman  whose  name  was 
Lydia.  The  name  indicates  that  she  was  a  Gentile, 
but  we  cannot  be  certain  as  to  her  nationality.     It  is 


122  Paul  the  Apostle 

probable  that  she  was  a  Gentile  who  had  beeu  made 
a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  religion.  One  thing  is 
certain  :  she  was  devout  in  her  life  and  faithful  to  the 
demands  of  the  law  of  Moses.  Her  native  city  was 
Thyatira,  the  site  of  one  of  the  Seven  Churches  of 
Asia.  She  had  located  in  Philippi  for  business  rea- 
sons, and  was  engaged  in  selling  purple  cloth.  She 
did  an  extensive  business,  and  had  in  her  employ  a 
number  of  other  women  of  like  faith  and  character. 

The  Sabbath  was  unobserved  and  unknown  in 
that  heathen  city.  But,  when  the  sacred  day  came 
around,  her  store  was  closed,  and  all  the  trade  for 
that  day  went  to  her  competitors  in  business.  She 
and  a  few  other  women  kept  the  day  in  harmony 
with  God's  commandment.  Her  conduct  shows  her 
to  have  been  a  woman  of  exalted  character.  There 
was  no  synagogue  in  the  city,  the  Jews  being  too  few 
in  numbers  to  maintain  one.  But,  out  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  in  a  retired  spot,  was  a  prosuecha,  or 
prayer-place,  and  to  this  these  godly  women  went 
every  Sabbath  for  the  purpose  of  prayer.  God 
heard  the  prayers  of  these  women,  and  answered 
them.  When  He  determined  to  answer  them,  the 
women  who  needed  the  gospel  light,  and  the  men  who 
were  to  take  it  to  them,  were  widely  separated. 
Lydia  and  her  friends  were  in  Europe,  and  Paul  and 
his  companions  in  Asia.  We  have  already  traced 
the  manner  in  which  Paul  and  his  associates  were  led 
to  Philippi,  and  the  rest  of  the  story  is  soon  told. 

We  have  no  means  of  knowing  the  day  of  the  week 
on  which  the  missionaries  arrived,  but  they  remained 
in  the  city  till  the  following  Sabbath,  and  then  found 
no  synagogue  in  which  to  worship.     However,  they 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      123 

saw  a  few  women,  modest  and  plain-looking,  going 
in  a  body  towards  the  river,  and  supposed  that  there 
must  be  a  prayer-place  in  that  direction,  and  not 
far  away.  They  followed  the  women  and  came  to 
the  spot. 

When  the  women  were  seated  and  the  meeting 
opened,  these  four  strange  men  walked  up,  and 
quietly  took  their  seats  among  them.  The  women 
were  neither  frightened  nor  displeased,  but  gave 
thom  a  cordial  welcome.  Paul  either  asked  j)ermis- 
siou  to  speak  or  was  invited  by  them  to  do  so.  The 
apostle  gratefully  accepted  the  opportunity  to  preach 
Christ  to  them. 

We  do  not  know  what  Paul  said,  and  even  his  line 
of  argument  is  not  mentioned  ;  but  when  we  consider 
Lydia's  spiritual  and  intellectual  condition,  in  con- 
nection with  Paul's  mission  to  her,  we  can  surmise 
with  almost  absolute  certainty  his  theme  and  also 
his  line  of  thought.  She  held  to  the  Jewish  idea  of 
the  Messiah  and  looked  for  Him  yet  to  come.  Paul's 
purpose  was  to  show  her  that  the  one  she  expected 
had  already  come,  and  that  her  faith  was  obsolete. 
He  would  naturally  endeavour  to  convince  her  that 
the  prophecies  found  in  the  Old  Testament  were  all 
fulfilled  in  the  life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  His  life, 
death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  were  explained  in 
the  light  of  the  Scriptures.  He  made  an  eifort  to 
convince  her  that  the  Messiah  for  whom  she  longed 
and  looked  was  none  other  than  the  lowly  Galilean 
whose  life  he  had  described. 

The  Lord  opened  her  heart  by  using  Paul  as  an 
inspired  instrument  to  bring  her  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth,  and  when  she  saw  the  truth  she  was  quick 


124  ^^^^  ^^^  Apostle 

to  comply  with  its  demands.  When  the  full  light 
broke  into  her  mind  it  came  with  such  force  as  to  be 
irresistible.  She  believed  on  Jesus  as  the  Son  of 
God,  and  was  baptized  with  all  her  household.  The 
place  of  baptizing  was  doubtless  the  river  on  the 
bank  of  which  was  the  place  of  j)rayer.  Who  com- 
prised her  household  is  unknown.  The  reference 
may  be  to  her  slaves,  her  assistants  in  business,  or  to 
her  children.  To  dogmatize  would  be  to  no  profit. 
The  silence  of  the  Scriptures  should  teach  us  to  be 
silent.  After  she  was  baptized  she  invited  the  men 
to  make  her  house  their  home  while  they  remained 
in  the  city.  This  tender  of  hospitality  shows  that 
Lydia  was  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary  means, 
and  living  in  a  house  sufficiently  commodious  to 
afford  room  for  four  men  besides  her  own  household. 
They  accepted  the  invitation,  and  Christianity  found 
a  home  in  Europe.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  first 
person  converted  to  Christ  in  Europe  was  an  Asiatic. 
The  question  of  demoniacal  possession  is  one  of 
profound  mystery.  There  is  not  enough  said  about 
it  in  the  Bible  to  enable  us  to  understand  it.  In 
Philippi  there  was  a  female  slave  possessed  of  a  spirit 
of  divination,  whatever  that  may  have  been.  By 
working  on  the  credulity  of  the  people  she  brought 
much  gain  to  her  masters.  Most  heathen  people 
regard  the  ravings  of  crazy  persons  with  veneration. 
With  them  a  sacredness  is  connected  with  lunacy. 
The  owners  of  this  unfortunate  girl  had,  in  her,  a 
great  source  of  income.  The  heathen  people  believed 
that  the  oracles  that  were  given  out  from  Delphi  were 
inspired  by  a  serpent  called  a  Python.  This  girl  was 
believed  to  possess  the  spirit  of  this  serpent,  and  to 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      125" 

have  ability  to  explain  all  mysteries.  It  is  not  sup- 
posed that  Luke,  in  giving  this  account,  endorses 
this  belief.  He  merely  refers  to  it  as  being  held  by 
the  peoj)le  of  the  city.  A  modern  diagnosis  of  the 
case  of  the  slave  would  be  that  she  was  insane. 

As  Paul  and  his  associates  went  daily  to  the  prayer- 
place  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  this  crazy  girl  followed 
them  along,  proclaiming  with  loud  voice,  ''These 
men  are  the  servants  of  the  Most  High  God  that  pro- 
claim unto  you  the  way  of  salvation. "  At  first  they 
appeared  not  to  notice  her,  but  this  annoyance  cx)n- 
tinued  from  day  to  day,  and  Paul  was  very  much 
grieved.  He  had  deep  sympathy  for  the  afflicted 
girl ;  and,  besides  that,  he  did  not  want  the  people  of 
the  town  to  get  the  idea  that  the  Gospel  was  in  any 
way  dependent  on  the  recommendation  of  an  evil 
spirit.  He  turned  with  compassion  and  healed  the 
girl.  With  her  mental  powers  fully  restored,  she 
was  rendered  valueless  to  her  owners.  "We  do  not 
know  what  became  of  her,  but  it  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  the  few  Christians  in  the  city  cared  for  her 
tenderly  till  a  permanent  home  was  found  for  her, 
and  that  she  continued  in  the  faith  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

When  the  owners  of  the  slave  saw  that  she  was 
restored  to  her  reason,  they  were  full  of  indignation 
against  the  apostles.  Their  income  had  ceased,  and 
their  anger  was  extreme.  In  each  Eoman  colony  the 
supreme  power  was  vested  in  two  officials  who  were 
called  duumviri,  but  who  are  called  magistrates  in 
the  English  Bible.  The  missionaries  were  brought 
before  these  men  charged  with  troubling  the  city  and 
teaching  customs  contrary  to  the  Eoman  law.     The 


126  Paul  the  Apostle 

real  charge  was  uot  preferred  iigaiust  them,  but  a 
false  oue  was  iDresented  in  its  stead.  This  fictitious 
charge  was  sufficient  to  inflame  the  auger  of  the 
magistrates,  who,  without  even  the  form  of  law,  tore 
the  clothiug  from  the  prisoners  and  commanded  the 
licton  to  beat  them  with  rods. 

These  brutal  officials,  ever  ready  to  do  the  bidding 
of  their  superiors,  "laid  many  stripes  upon  them." 
Only  Paul  and  Silas  were  thus  treated.  By  what 
means  Timothy  and  Luke  escaped  similar  treatment 
is  uot  known.  Evidently  they  were  not  present 
when  their  fellow  labourers  were  arrested  ;  yet  it  must 
have  been  known  throughout  the  city  that  they  were 
all  engaged  in  the  same  work,  and  had  come  to  the 
city  for  the  same  purpose.  After  Paul  and  Silas  had 
been  severely  beaten,  they  were  committed  to  the 
prison  for  the  night,  and  the  jailer  was  given  special 
charge  to  keep  them  in  safety.  This  unusual  order 
led  the  jailer  to  believe  that  they  were  guilty  of  some 
unusual  crime,  and  he  took  special  paius  to  insure 
their  safety.  He  had  them  placed  in  the  inner  prison 
and  their  feet  made  fast  in  the  stocks.  When  they 
had  thus  been  disposed  of  for  the  night,  escape  by 
ordinary  mains  was  impossible. 

The  prisouers  were  in  a  pitiable  plight.  They  had 
been  charged  with  crime,  yet  they  had  done  only  a 
Christlike  deed  ;  they  hatl  been  shamefully  beaten  ; 
and  uou",  vvith  their  backs  bruised  and  bleeding, 
they  had  been  abruptly  thrown  into  prison,  and 
fettered  like  the  worst  of  criminals.  For  a  few  hours 
they  were  unable  to  think  of  anything  but  their  own 
sufferings.  Iliey  were  human  beings  with  feelings 
common  lo  all  men. 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      127 

It  was  miduigbt  before  their  droopiug  spirits  suf- 
ficiently revived  for  tliein  to  be  able  to  thiuk  of  God 
who  gives  His  scrvaDts  "songs  in  the  night."  And 
when  the  reaction  came,  they  lifted  (heir  voices  to 
God  in  heartfelt  praise.  Before  they  sang,  they 
prayed.  In  answer  to  their  prayer  their  hearts  were 
made  glad,  and  they  sang  to  express  their  joy.  As 
the  trembling  voices  of  these  men  of  God  sounded 
through  the  gloomy  prison,  the  other  inmates  heard 
them.  They  were  aroused  from  slumber  by  the 
strange  occurrence,  and  lay  awake,  listening.  That 
was  the  first  song  of  praise  to  the  true  God  ever 
heard  within  those  walls.  It  was  indeed  a  strange 
sound  to  the  attentive  prisoners. 

In  the  midst  of  the  song  there  came  an  earthquake 
of  sufficient  violence  to  shake  the  doors  of  the  i^risou 
from  their  fastenings.  The  power  of  God  broke  the 
shackles  from  the  feet  of  those  who  were  bound. 
The  jailer  was  aroused  from  his  sleep,  and  his  first 
thought  was  of  his  prisoners.  Looking  towards  the 
prison  and  seeing  the  doors  open,  he  very  naturally 
supposed  that  all  the  prisoners  had  escaped.  He 
knew  too  well  that,  if  they  had  made  their  escape, 
he  would  be  put  to  death  for  neglect  of  duty. 

It  was  a  well-known  trait  of  Roman  character  to 
prefer  death  by  one's  own  hand  to  public  execution, 
or  even  disgrace.  To  commit  suicide  was  more 
honourable  than  to  be  put  to  death  by  process  of  law. 
The  history  of  the  city  in  which  the  jailer  lived 
furnishes  some  striking  examples  of  this.  Here 
Cassius,  after  his  defeat,  practically  took  his  own  life 
by  commanding  one  of  his  freed  men  to  strike  the 
deadly    blow.     Here   also,   after    the   same  battle, 


1 28  Paul  the  Apostle 

Brutus  took  leave  of  his  friends,  saying,  "Certainly 
we  must  fly,  yet  not  with  our  feet,  but  our  hands." 
Before  the  battle  he  wrote  :  "  If  I  am  victorious,  I 
shall  restore  liberty  to  my  country  :  if  I  am  defeated, 
I  shall  escape  the  curse  of  slavery  ;  my  condition  is 
fixed  ;  I  run  no  hazard."  The  battle  went  against 
him,  and  his  friend  Strato  held  a  sword,  and  the 
defeated  general  threw  himself  upon  it,  and,  as  he 
believed,  put  an  honourable  end  to  his  life.  His  wife 
took  her  life  by  swallowing  coals  of  fire.  This  all 
shows  that  suicide  was  a  point  of  honour  with  the 
Eomans.  This  same  national  feeling  caused  the  jailer 
to  draw  his  sword  and  prepare  to  take  his  life.  But, 
before  he  fell  upon  the  deadly  blade,  the  voice  of  Paul 
rang  out  from  within  the  dark  prison-cell,  saying, 
"Do  thyself  no  harm  :  for  we  are  all  here." 

Being  thus  assured  that  the  prisoners  were  safe,  the 
jailer  dismissed  all  thoughts  of  self-destruction.  He 
called  for  a  light  and  rushed  for  the  prison.  He  fell 
before  Paul  and  Silas,  like  Dagon  before  the  ark  of 
the  Lord,  and  then  arose  and  led  them  out  of  the 
prison.  After  he  brought  them  out  he  asked  them 
the  greatest  of  all  questions,  "  Sirs,  what  must  I  do 
to  be  saved?"  The  missionaries  had  for  "many 
days  "  preached  salvation  to  the  people  of  the  city, 
and  some  had  been  brought  to  light.  Late  on  the 
previous  evening  the  jailer  thought  nothing  and 
cared  nothing  about  salvation.  He  had  rudely  cast 
the  men  of  God  into  prison  without  the  least  sym- 
pathy. Without  even  the  smallest  touch  of  pity,  he 
had  made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks  :  but  after  the 
earthquake  and  the  refusal  of  the  prisoners  to  make 
their  escape,  his  feelings  towards  them  had  com- 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      129 

pletely  changed.  He  had  come  to  regard  them  as 
messeugers  of  God,  and  out  of  an  awakened  con- 
science which  had  long  slumbered,  he  made  earnest 
enquiry  for  the  way  of  life.  Their  answer  was  plain 
and  pointed,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  and  thou 
Shalt  be  saved,  thou  and  thy  house  "  (Acts  xvi.  31). 

The  keeper  of  the  prison  was  a  heathen,  and  knew 
nothing  of  revealed  religion.  If  he  had  listened  to 
Paul  and  Silas  as  they  preached  in  the  city,  he  would 
have  known  what  to  do  to  be  saved  ;  but  not  having 
done  this,  he  was  grossly  ignorant  of  the  plan  of  sal- 
vation as  revealed  by  Christ  and  preached  by  the 
apostles.  Paul's  answer  to  the  jailer's  question  was 
explicit.  The  heathen  were  familiar  with  ''gods 
many  and  lords  many,"  but  there  was  only  one  Lord 
Jesus,  and  there  could  be  but  one  meaning  in  the 
apostle's  language.  This  meaning  could  not  be  mis- 
understood. 

Paul  and  Silas  spoke  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  all 
that  were  in  the  jailer's  house.  This  being  true,  it 
follows  that  all  who  were  in  his  house  were  able  to 
hear  and  understand  that  which  was  preached  to 
them  ;  and  this  eliminates  the  supposition  that  there 
were  infants  in  his  household.  "Without  delay,  the 
jailer  took  these  men  to  some  suitable  place  for  the 
purpose,  washed  the  blood  from  their  bodies,  and  re- 
ceived baptism  at  their  hands.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
his  duty  clearly,  he  performed  it.  All  earnest  en- 
quirers should  imitate  his  example  and  learn  the 
lesson  of  promptness  from  this  heathen  man  who 
accepted  the  first  invitation  ever  extended  to  him  to 
become  a  Christian. 

After  the  sacred  rite  of  baptism  had  been  per- 


130  Paul  the  Apostle 

formed,  the  jailer  brought  the  missionaries  into  his 
own  house,  fed  them  at  his  own  table,  and  rejoiced 
with  his  entire  household  in  their  new-found  faith. 
We  learn  from  the  words,  "  brought  them  out,"  that 
they  went  from  the  prison  to  some  other  place.  They 
were  not  washed,  neither  was  the  jailer  baptized,  in 
the  jail.  The  words,  "took  them,"  also  show  that 
they  went  elsewhere,  and  the  statement  that,  after 
the  baptism  had  been  performed,  "  he  brought  them 
up  into  his  house,"  shows  clearly  that  he  was  not 
baptized  in  his  house.  The  ordinance  was  admin- 
istered between  their  leaving  the  prison  and  their 
entrance  of  the  jailer's  house.  This  is  perfectly 
clear  ;  and  the  further  statement  that  the  jailer  and 
his  entire  household  rejoiced,  believing  in  God,  fur- 
nishes additional  proof  that  his  home  contained  no 
persons  that  were  not  able  to  believe  for  themselves, 
and  to  rejoice  in  the  promises  of  the  Gospel. 

The  report  of  the  events  that  had  transpired  in  the 
precincts  of  the  prison  spread  over  the  city  before 
daylight,  and  in  the  early  morning  the  magistrates 
sent  messengers  to  the  jailer  with  the  command  to 
release  the  prisoners.  He  reported  to  Paul  and  Silas, 
and  advised  them  to  leave  the  city  at  once,  but  this 
did  not  satisfy  them.  Had  they  consented  to  that 
kind  of  release,  they  would  have  appeared  to  the 
public  as  pardoned  criminals,  and  the  report  that 
would  have  gone  out  would  have  iuj  ured  their  stand- 
ing in  other  places  where  they  expected  to  preach 
the  Gospel. 

Paul  resolved  to  stand  on  his  dignity  and  claim 
his  rights  as  a  Eoman  citizen.  He  said  to  the  jailer  : 
"  They  have  beaten  us  openly  and  uncondemned, 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Begun      131 

meu  that  are  Eomaus,  aud  have  cast  us  iuto  prisou  ; 
aud  do  they  uow  cast  us  out  privily  ?  nay  verily  j 
but  let  them  come  themselves  aud  bring  us  out." 
The  officers  that  had  been  sent  by  the  magistrates 
with  orders  to  release  the  prisoners  returned  and 
reported  to  them  what  Paul  had  said  ;  and  when 
they  heard  that  the  men  in  custody  were  Eomaus, 
they  were  afraid  and  came  gladly  to  the  prison  and 
asked  them  to  depart  from  the  city.  It  was  a  crime 
to  scouige  a  Roman  citizen  before  he  was  condemned, 
and  that  is  what  had  been  done  to  these  men.  The 
officers  were  anxious  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  con- 
dition by  being  especially  courteous,  and  by  getting 
rid  of  them  on  the  easiest  possible  terms.  The 
honour  of  the  missionaries  was  thus  vindicated,  and 
they  were  ready  to  depart. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  first  home  in  Europe 
into  which  ministers  of  Christ  were  received  and  in 
which  they  found  the  most  hospitable  welcome  and 
generous  entertaiument  was  that  of  a  woman.  On 
the  day  that  Lydia  became  a  Christian  she  threw  the 
doors  of  her  house  wide  open  to  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions aud  told  them  to  make  themselves  at  home. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  offer  was  gladly  accepted. 
From  that  day  till  they  left  the  city  they  were  inmates 
of  Lydia's  house.  Only  one  night  was  spent  outside 
of  that  home  and  that  was  the  night  that  they  spent 
in  the  jail,  their  last  night  in  the  city. 

The  church  in  Philippi  was  the  first  Christian  con- 
gregation established  in  Europe.  In  the  First  Epistle 
to  the  Thessalonians,  which  is  the  earliest  of  all  of 
Paul's  epistles,  he  referred  to  his  experience  at 
Philippi  in  these  words:  "But  even  after  that  we 


132  Paul  the  Apostle 

had  suffered  before,  and  were  shamefully  treated  as 
ye  know  at  Philippi,  we  were  bold  in  our  God  to 
speak  unto  you  the  Gospel  of  God  with  much  conten- 
tion. "  These  words  were  written  soon  after  Paul  and 
Silas  left  Philippi,  while  the  impressions  made  there 
were  still  deep  and  fresh  in  his  mind.  He  did  not 
need  the  power  of  his  inspiration  to  recall  them  to 
his  memory.  This  church  sent  material  contributions 
to  Paul  while  he  was  in  Thessalonica  (Phil.  iv.  16)  ; 
and  when  he  was  a  prisoner  in  Rome,  this  same 
church  sent  him  relief  for  his  needs  by  the  hands  of 
Epaphroditus  (Phil.  ii.  25,  26),  who  was  detained  in 
Eome  by  a  severe  attack  of  illness.  Paul  ever  re- 
garded this  church  with  tender  affection,  and  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Philippians  there  is  not  a  word  of 
censure. 


THE  SECOND  MISSIONAEY  JOUENEY  CON- 
TINUED :  FEOM  PHILIPPI  TO  COEINTH, 
AND  THENCE  TO  ANTIOCH 

IMMEDIATELY  after  leaving  the  prison  Paul 
and  Silas  went  to  the  house  of  Lydia,  iu  which 
they  had  made  their  home  ever  since  she  and 
her  household  were  baptized,  to  pay  a  final  visit  and 
take  formal  leave.  They  saw  the  brethren  aild  left 
the  city.  The  missionaries  had  spent  "  many  days" 
in  the  city  before  they  were  imprisoned,  and  the 
"brethren  "  mentioned  had  been  baptized  during  that 
time. 

The  seventeenth  chapter  of  Acts  begins  by  the 
writer's  using  the  pronoun  of  the  third  person.  This 
fjict  shows  that  when  Paul  and  Silas  left  Philippi, 
Luke  remained  behind  to  continue  the  work  that  all 
four  had  begun.  Timothy  also  remained  with  Luke 
to  assist  him  in  completing  the  organization  of  the 
church  and  deepening  its  spiritual  life.  At  the  time 
Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippiaus,  the  con- 
gregation was  fully  organized,  with  the  proper  of- 
ficiary (Phil.  i.  1).  These  officers  were  probably 
appointed  after  Paul  left  the  city. 

On  leaving  Philippi,  Paul  and  Silas  travelled  a 
day's  journey  of  thirty-three  miles  to  the  city  of 
Amphipolis.  This  was  a  beautiful  place  and  beauti- 
fully situated.     It  stood  near  a  small  lake  three  miles 

133 


134  Paul  the  Apostle 

from  the  sea,  and  tlie  river  Strymon  bordered  it  on 
three  sides.  The  name  "  Amphipolis  "  means  *'  The 
City  Surrounded  by  Water. ' '  Just  south  of  it  there  is 
a  range  of  hills.  It  was  a  great  city  in  Paul's  day, 
and  was  formerly  called  "Nine  Ways,"  because  that 
number  of  excellent  roads  centered  there.  The  site 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Turkish  village  of  Jeni-Keui, 
or  New  Town.  There  was  no  synagogue  in  the  city, 
and  Paul  and  Silas  made  no  stop  there,  unless  it  was 
merely  to  pass  the  night  and  resume  their  journey 
the  next  morning. 

Thirty  miles  to  the  southwest  from  Amphipolis 
stood  Apollonia.  The  name  is  derived  from  Apollo, 
one  of  the  gods  of  ancient  mythology.  The  exact  site 
of  the  town  is  not  known,  but  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
locating  its  vicinity.  In  going  from  Amphipolis  to 
Apollonia,  Paul  and  Silas  passed  through  a  country 
of  picturesque  beauty.  The  road  lay  along  the 
Strymouic  Gulf,  where  the  vision  had  a  wide  sweep 
over  the  water  to  their  left,  and  on  the  right  high 
wooded  hills,  interspersed  with  small  valleys,  added 
diversity  to  the  view.  The  measured  beat  of  the  surf 
against  the  shore  sounded  in  their  ears  for  many 
miles  along  the  way,  but  the  plain,  unembellished 
record  before  us  in  Acts  merely  tells  us  that  "  they 
passed  through  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia."  Thirty 
miles  is  a  good  day's  travel,  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  they  reached  Apollonia  at  the  close  of  a 
toilsome  day,  and  there  spent  the  night. 

Finding  no  sjmagogue  in  the  city,  they  left  early 
in  the  morning  and  travelled  due  westward  thirty- 
seven  miles  to  Thessalonica.  This  was  another  good 
day's  journey,  if,  indeed,  they  made  it  in  one  day. 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued    135 

They  had  now  arrived  at  another  noted  city.  It  was 
located  at  the  head  of  the  Thermaic  Gulf.  Cassander 
had  changed  the  name  from  Therma  to  Thessalonica 
in  honour  of  his  wife  who  was  a  sister  of  Alexander 
the  Great.  In  Strabo's  time  it  was  the  most  popular 
city  in  Macedonia.  The  modern  name  is  Saloniki 
and  it  is  the  most  important  city  in  European  Turkey 
except  Constantinople. 

The  missionaries  found  a  synagogue  in  this  city. 
It  was  probably  the  first  one  that  they  had  found 
since  leaving  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  They  were  glad  to 
find  a  large  number  of  Jews,  and,  entering  the  syn- 
agogue, they  preached  Christ  to  the  people.  Using 
the  Old  Testament  as  a  base  from  which  to  advocate 
the  religion  of  Christ  gave  them  a  ready  hearing. 
They  followed  the  same  plan  they  had  adopted  in 
other  cities,  proving  the  claims  of  Jesus  from  the  law 
and  the  prophets.  Thus  they  * '  reasoned  with  them 
from  the  Scriptures."  For  three  Sabbath  days  they 
continued  to  open  the  Scriptures,  and  to  show  that 
the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  fulfilled 
them.  In  doing  this  they  made  good  the  claims  of 
Christ.  During  the  time  that  Paul  spent  there,  he 
laboured  day  and  night  for  his  own  support,  in  order 
not  to  burden  his  friends  (1  Thess.  ii.  9).  He  received 
some  assistance  from  Philippi  but  not  enough  to 
supply  his  needs,  and  those  of  Silas  (Phil.  iv.  15-17). 

It  seems  that  almost,  if  not  all,  the  preaching  done 
by  these  men  was  done  on  the  Sabbath,  but  it  is  to  be 
supposed  that  they  had  many  special  appointments 
to  confer  personally  with  men  and  women  in  quest 
of  truth,  and  that  their  labour  was  not  without  fruit. 
Large  numbers  were  added  to  the  Lord,  men  and 


136  Paul  the  Apostle 

•women,  Jews  and  Gentiles.  We  learn  this  from  one 
of  Paul's  epistles,  in  which  he  reminds  his  readers 
that  they  had  once  been  idolaters,  but  had  turned  to 
serve  the  true  God  (1  Thess.  i.  9). 

The  Jews  were  greatly  displeased  to  see  the  Gentiles 
turn  to  God  so  readily,  and  being  influenced  by  prej- 
udice and  auger,  they  began  to  oppose  the  further 
progress  of  the  Gospel.  This  opposition  was  open 
and  violent.  They  began  by  taking  into  their  con- 
fidence the  lowest  and  vilest  men  of  the  city,  and 
putting  them  forward  as  leaders  of  a  mob  intended  to 
put  down  the  new  heresy.  With  such  a  class  in  the 
lead  the  city  was  soon  in  an  uproar.  The  missionaries 
had  been  making  their  home  in  the  house  of  a  man 
named  Jason,  and  this  fact  was  known  to  those  who 
had  caused  the  disturbance.  When  the  mob  got 
beyond  the  control  of  the  civil  authorities,  they 
rushed  to  the  home  of  Jason,  expecting  to  force  an 
entrance,  capture  Paul  and  Silas,  and  bring  them 
before  the  court,  charged  with  crime.  But,  failing 
to  find  them,  they  laid  hold  on  Jason  and  some  other 
brethren  and  dragged  them  before  the  rulers  of  the 
city,  saying  :  *'  These  men  that  have  turned  the  world 
upside  down  are  come  hither  also  ;  whom  Jason  hath 
received  ;  and  these  all  act  contrary  to  the  decree  of 
Csesar,  saying  that  there  is  another  king,  one  Jesus." 

This  charge  implies  that  Jason  had  been  guilty  of 
treason  by  extending  the  hospitality  of  his  home  to 
men  who  were  regarded  as  dangerous  to  the  authority 
of  the  emperor.  The  rulers  of  the  city  were  troubled 
at  hearing  this  charge  against  these  men,  and  at  the 
implied  guilt  of  Jason.  Eeports  of  what  these  men 
had  done  in  Philippi  and  other  cities  reached  Thes- 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     137 

salonica.  The  Jews  of  Thessalonica  had  heard  of 
the  violence  done  to  them  in  other  places,  and  with- 
out knowing  the  facts,  laid  all  the  blame  on  them. 
The  only  charge  against  Jason  was  easily  sustained. 
He  had  received  and  entertained  these  men  in  his 
home.  This  he  did  not  deny.  There  was  no  crime 
in  entertaining  them  as  he  did.  His  was  only  an  act 
of  generous  hospitality  to  two  strange  men.  He  was 
released,  of  course,  but  they  required  him  to  give 
bond  to  keep  the  peace,  and  in  this  bond  he  probably 
stood  surety  for  the  good  behaviour  of  Paul  and  Silas. 

Seeing  that  their  usefulness  in  the  city  was  over  for 
the  present,  and  fearing  to  remain  longer  lest  their 
lives  should  be  endangered,  Paul  and  Silas  made 
haste  to  get  away  from  so  many  enemies.  They  were 
brave  in  the  face  of  danger,  but  it  was  not  good  judg- 
ment to  throw  their  lives  away  to  no  purpose  when 
the  world  needed  them  so  badly.  They  wisely  took 
their  departure,  making  their  escape  by  the  aid  of 
the  brethren,  who  contrived  to  send  them  away  from 
the  city  by  night.  Paul  had,  long  before  this,  made 
his  escape  from  Damascus  by  night,  and  his  flight 
from  Thessalonica  could  not  but  recall  melancholy 
memories  of  that  lonesome  journey  through  the 
desert. 

When  these  two  messengers  of  Christ  left  Thessa- 
lonica, they  continued  to  follow  the  well-paved  mili- 
tary road  over  which  they  came  to  the  city.  This 
broad  highway,  leading  to  the  west,  furnished  them 
an  easy  means  of  escape.  They  followed  it  for  several 
miles,  but  in  order  to  reach  Berea,  they  left  the  main 
thoroughfare  and  travelled  a  less  frequented  road 
leading  more  to  the  southwest.     Berea  is  about  sixty 


1 38  Paul  the  Apostle 

miles  from  Thessalouiea,  and  tlie  travellers  must  have 
spent  at  least  two  days  on  the  journey.  Nothing  is 
said  about  intervening  points.  Evidently  no  stop 
was  made.  The  road  all  the  way  traversed  a  beauti- 
ful level  country  through  which  many  sparkling 
streams  made  their  way.  Berea  was  situated  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Olympian  Eauge.  It  had  many 
natural  advantages,  and  it  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  towns  in  Macedonia.  Its  gardens  are 
shaded  with  plane  trees,  and  through  its  streets  flow 
streams  of  water.  Its  modern  name  is  Kara-Veria, 
which  is  easily  recognized  as  a  corruption  of  the 
ancient  name. 

Paul  and  Silas  were  glad  to  find  a  synagogue  in 
Berea,  and,  in  keeping  with  their  usual  custom, 
they  went  to  the  place  of  meeting  and  preached  the 
Gospel.  A  further  cause  for  joy  was  the  fact  that 
they  found  the  Jews  ready  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 
To  find  Jews  open-minded  and  without  prejudice  was 
such  an  unusual  thing  that  the  author  of  Acts  saw 
proper  to  make  a  record  of  the  fact.  Their  attitude 
towards  the  Scriptures  is  stated  in  these  words: 
*'  The  Jews  of  Berea  were  more  noble  than  those  of 
Thessalonica  in  that  they  received  the  word  with  all 
readiness  of  mind,  examining  the  Scriptures  daily, 
whether  these  things  were  so."  This  favourable 
attitude  of  the  Jews  made  it  easier  to  reach  the 
Gentiles  with  the  truth. 

Many  Jews  were  converted  to  Christ,  and  a  great 
number  of  Gentiles,  both  men  and  women,  followed 
their  example.  This  was  the  first  place  visited  by 
Paul  and  Silas  where  the  Jews  were  favourable  to 
the  religion  of  Christ.     There  was  no  prejudice  to 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued    139 

encounter  and  overcome  ;  the  door  was  wide  open. 
To  meet  with  such  a  reception  was  a  new  experience 
to  these  men,  and  they  were  very  much  encouraged 
as  to  the  present,  and  hopeful  as  to  the  future.  Their 
bright  hopes,  however,  were  soon  blasted  and  scat- 
tered to  the  winds.  They  were  to  drink  the  bitter 
waters  of  persecution  and  anguish  in  this  city  as  they 
had  often  done  in  other  cities.  Again  they  were 
assailed  from  the  rear.  Paul  had  encountered  the 
same  kind  of  opposition  at  Lystra,  and  such  conduct 
of  the  enemies  of  Christ  was  not  new  to  him. 

When  the  success  of  the  Gospel  in  Berea  became 
known  in  Thessalonica,  Jews  from  that  place  hurried 
over  the  sixty  miles  of  road  that  separated  the  two 
cities,  in  order  that  they  might  oppose  the  work  of 
the  missionaries.  The  details  of  the  persecution  are 
not  given,  but  the  brethren  in  Berea  thought  that  the 
situation  was  too  dangerous  for  Paul  to  remain,  and 
without  delay  they  sent  him  away  from  the  city. 
His  plan  seems  to  have  been  to  go  to  the  sea,  a 
distance  of  sixteen  miles,  and  await  the  arrival  of  his 
companions.  Timothy  had  joined  him  some  time 
since  leaving  Philippi,  but  where  or  when  we  do  not 
know.  For  some  reason  Silas  and  Timothy  were  left 
in  Berea  for  a  while.  Paul,  being  the  most  prominent 
and  aggressive,  was  in  the  greatest  danger,  and  he 
left  the  city  in  compliance  with  the  judgment  of  his 
friends.  When  he  reached  the  sea,  for  some  reason, 
his  plans  were  changed. 

Those  who  had  him  in  charge  and  felt  responsible 
for  his  life  believed  him  to  be  in  great  danger  still, 
and  were  not  willing  for  him  to  remain  within  sixteen 
miles  of  so  many  enemies.     They  urged  him  to  go 


140  Paul  the  Apostle 

further  away  from  Berea.  To  this  he  agreed.  Ac- 
cordiDgly,  they  took  him  aboard  of  a  ship  and  went 
with  him  to  Athens.  The  indications  are  that  Paul 
was  in  feeble  health  at  this  time ;  otherwise,  we  can 
see  no  reason  why  the  men  who  took  him  to  the  sea- 
shore at  Dium  should  have  gone  on  to  Athens  with 
him.  It  has  been  surmised  that  he  had  a  weakness 
of  the  eyes,  and  for  this  there  is  some  reason.  It  has 
also  been  surmised  that  he  was  subject  to  attacks  of 
epilepsy,  and  for  that  reason  disliked  to  be  alone. 
We  have  never  been  able  to  find  the  slightest  reason 
for  the  latter  conjecture,  although  so  eminent  a 
scholar  and  critic  as  F.  W.  Farrar  gave  it  his  en- 
dorsement. Arriving  at  Athens,  he  sent  the  men 
who  had  accompanied  him  back  to  their  own  homes, 
and  by  them  he  sent  a  message  to  Silas  and  Timothy 
directing  them  to  make  haste  and  join  him  in  that  city 
where  it  was  his  intention  to  await  their  coming. 

'No  description  of  Athens  will  be  attempted.  To 
do  so  would  require  too  much  space.  The  city  is 
described  in  all  cyclopedias,  Bible  dictionaries,  and 
in  many  books  of  travel,  and  the  reader  is  referred 
to  such  works.  Athens  was  the  center  of  Gentile 
culture,  and  the  site  of  many  heathen  temples.  It 
was  the  home  of  the  fine  arts,  and  known  as  "The 
mother  of  arts  and  eloquence."  The  streets  were 
ornamented  with  the  images  of  many  gods  and  god- 
desses. These  aroused  Paul's  indignation  and  pro- 
voked his  spirit  beyond  measure.  Eenan,  who  was 
himself  hostile  to  Christianity,  asserts  that  Paul  in 
his  ignorance  mistook  these  masterpieces  of  statuary 
for  idols,  and  railed  against  them  for  lack  of  knowl- 
edge.    We  are  left  to  choose  between  the  statement 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     14I 

of  Paul  who  saw  what  he  denounced,  and  the  opinion 
of  the  brilliant  Frenchman  who  lived  from  1823  to 
1892,  and  who  was  too  strongly  opposed  to  the  re- 
ligion of  Christ  to  deal  justly  with  it. 

Paul  waited  for  Silas  and  Timothy,  but  not  in  idle- 
ness. He  found  a  synagogue,  and  began  to  preach 
Christ  and  Him  crucified.  He  reasoned  with  the 
Jews  in  the  capital  of  the  Greeks,  and  they  heard 
him  with  respect.  In  the  Agora,  the  market-place, 
the  people  freely  approached  him  and  engaged  him  in 
conversation.  He  was  ever  ready  to  give  a  reason  for 
his  hope,  and  to  press  the  claims  of  Christ  upon  all 
willing  listeners.  These  conversations  often  developed 
into  hot  discussions.  They  were  all  informal,  and 
held  in  the  open.  Many  people  listened  to  them. 
After  much  effort  extending  through  many  days, 
Paul  attracted  the  attention  of  the  public  and  secured 
a  hearing.  He  encountered  the  philosophers  of  many 
different  schools  ;  the  two  most  prominent  of  these 
were  the  Stoics  and  the  Epicureans.  The  Stoics  de- 
rived their  name  from  the  stoa,  or  colonnade,  in 
which  Zeno,  their  founder,  delivered  his  lectures 
about  the  year  308  B.  c.  Zeno  and  the  school  of 
jjhilosophy  that  he  founded  taught  that  total  indiffer- 
ence to  both  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  the  world  would 
bring  the  greatest  good  in  life.  The  Epicureans, 
founded  by  Epicurus,  taught  that  happiness  was  the 
true  aim  of  life,  and  that  this  springs  from  peace  of 
mind  resulting  from  proper  conduct.  They  put  no 
limit  on  the  passions  and  taught  no  responsibility  as 
to  one's  life,  holding  that  a  free  and  prudent  gratifi- 
cation of  every  passion  was  life's  true  aim. 

Both  of  these  sects,  though  differing  widely  from 


142  Paul  the  Apostle 

each  other  in  the  fundameutal  principles  of  their  re- 
spective philosophies,  united  in  denying  the  resur- 
rection and  the  future  life.  In  opposition  to  the  hard 
and  unsympathetic  tenets  of  the  Stoics  Paul  taught 
that  all  men  should  rejoice  in  the  happiness  of  others, 
and  weep  with  them  in  their  sorrows  and  misfor- 
tunes ;  and,  in  opposition  to  the  indulgence  of  every 
passion  as  practiced  by  the  Epicureans,  he  taught 
that  men  should  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts, 
live  in  a  spiritual  atmosphere,  and  think  pure 
thoughts. 

The  one  point  at  which  Paul  antagonized  both  of 
these  parties  was  that  human  life  would  issue  in 
eternity,  and  that  the  righteous  would  enjoy  everlast- 
ing life.  In  this  great  and  populous  city  of  Athens, 
this  splendid,  yet  heathen  city,  most  people  with 
whom  the  apostle  came  in  contact  treated  him  with 
cold  indifference  and  supreme  contempt ;  but  he 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  attention  of  a  few  open 
minded  people,  and  towards  these  he  directed  his 
efforts. 

The  apostle  was  made  glad  by  receivdng  an  invi- 
tation to  speak  in  the  Areopagus.  "  Mars  Hill,"  as 
it  is  still  called,  is  a  long  low  ridge  extending  along 
the  northern  side  of  the  Agora.  It  is  about  thirty 
f(!et  in  height,  and  slopes  towards  the  west  for  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  descends  to  the  level  of  the 
plain.  From  the  Agora,  a  flight  of  steps  cut  into  the 
solid  rock  leads  to  the  summit  of  the  hill.  On  the 
top  of  this  hill,  and  in  the  open  air,  sat  the  court  of 
the  Areopagus.  It  was  the  function  of  this  court  to 
consider  and  settle  all  religious  controversies,  and 
also  to  try  and  condemn  criminals.     Paul  was  not 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued    143 

before  the  court.  The  people  iu  the  market-place 
had  invited  him  to  speak  to  them  of  the  new  doc- 
trines and  to  explain  to  tliem  the  ''  strange  things  " 
that  he  had  brought  to  their  ears.  Some  of  the 
Athenians  had  expressed  themselves  freely  in  regard 
to  the  apostle  and  his  teaching.  By  some  he  was 
called  a  babbler,  and  others  ventured  the  opinion 
that  he  was  a  proclaimer  of  foreign  gods  ;  and  now 
the  opportunity  had  presented  itself,  and  Paul  was 
glad  to  be  able  to  explain  fully  the  object  of  his  mis- 
sion to  the  city. 

With  the  market-place  in  full  view  and  thronged 
with  a  noisy  multitude  that  cared  neither  for  Paul 
nor  his  teaching,  the  great  sermon  on  Mars  Hill  was 
delivered  ;  and,  in  preaching,  the  apostle  had  to  con- 
tend with  the  confused  and  mingled  sounds  that  came 
from  the  crowd  a  few  steps  away.  Paul  spoke  under 
difficulties.  The  people  of  Athens  were  noted  for 
their  desire  to  hear  and  tell  new  things,  and  now 
they  were  to  hear  something  new. 

The  first  thing  that  the  speaker  did  was  to  pay  a 
high  tribute  to  the  religious  fervour  of  the  people. 
He  told  them  that  he  could  see  that  they  were  very 
religious.  Their  many  altars  erected  to  many  gods 
gave  proof  of  this,  but  there  was  nothing  in  all  this 
to  appease  their  heart-hunger  for  something  better. 
Back  of  all  their  known  gods  was  the  Unknown  God, 
and  they  had  erected  an  altar  to  him,  even  though 
they  knew  not  his  name  or  character.  Paul  saw  that 
altar,  and  told  them  that  he  had  come  among  them 
to  make  known  the  Unknown  God.  They  worshipped 
Him  in  ignorance,  and  it  was  the  apostle's  mission  to 
enable  them  to  serve  Him  intelligently.    He  told  them 


144  Paul  the  Apostle 

of  the  works  of  tlie  Unknown  God,  and  declared  that 
God  did  not  dwell  in  temples  erected  by  man. 

The  apostle  declared  that  God  had  overlooked 
what  men  had  done  in  ignorance,  but  would  do  so  no 
longer,  that  He  now  commands  all  men  everywhere 
to  repent.  As  a  motive  to  repentance  the  apostle 
announced  that  God  had  appointed  a  day  in  which 
He  would  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  the 
man  who  had  been  ordained  for  that  purpose.  The 
resurrection  of  Jesus  is  the  assurance  to  all  men  that 
He  will  judge  the  world.  The  resurrection  made 
the  judgment  as  certain  as  the  power  and  immutabil- 
ity of  God  can  make  anything. 

At  the  reference  to  the  resurrection  some  laughed 
in  derision.  The  Greeks  looked  upon  the  doctrine  of 
the  resurrection  as  foolishness  (1  Cor.  i.  23).  Some 
expressed  more  interest,  and  asked  that  they  might 
hear  more  of  the  Gospel,  but  if  Paul  made  any  prom- 
ise to  address  them  again,  the  record  does  not  show 
it.  Still  we  know  that  it  would  not  be  like  Paul  to 
go  away  and  leave  men  pleading  for  further  instruc- 
tion in  the  Gospel.  It  is  probable  that  he  addressed 
them  again.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  a  few 
persons  accepted  the  new  faith.  One  of  these  was 
Diouysius,  a  member  of  the  court  of  Areopagus, 
and  another  was  Damaris,  a  well-known  woman  of 
the  city. 

This  address,  of  which  we  only  have  a  synopsis, 
was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  ever  delivered  by  Paul, 
and,  in  point  of  results,  it  amounted  to  less  than 
most  of  his  sermons.  He  founded  no  church  in 
Athens,  we  have  no  Epistle  to  the  Athenians,  and  we 
know  the  names  of  only  two  persons  who  were  con- 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued    145 

verted  on  Mars  HilL  It  is  true  that  the  apostle 
failed  to  establish  a  congregation  of  Christians  in  the 
center  of  Greek  culture,  but  he  did  not  fail  to  preach 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  was  nothing  lack- 
ing on  his  part.  The  same  Gospel  with  which  he  had 
won  multitudes  in  other  cities  and  which  was  destined 
to  accomplish  even  greater  things  in  days  to  come, 
failed  to  impress  the  people  of  Athens ;  and  for  this 
Paul  was  not  the  least  responsible. 

On  leaving  Athens  Paul  must  have  reflected  seri- 
ously on  his  work  in  that  city,  and  he  almost  ac- 
knowledged that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  his  man- 
ner of  preaching.  Some  of  his  own  words  indicate 
this,  and  help  us  to  understand  the  apostle's  opinion 
as  to  why  he  failed  to  establish  a  church  of  Christ 
in  the  Grecian  capital.  We  know  that  at  Athens  the 
apostle  descended  to  the  arena  of  controversy  in  the 
market-place.  He  disputed  daily  with  the  philoso- 
phers. There  is  only  one  power  to  save  men  and 
that  is  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  When  the  preacher 
turns  aside  from  that  great  theme  to  discuss  philoso- 
phy with  the  philosophers,  he  will  fail.  Even  an 
apostle  could  learn  by  experience,  and  this  episode 
was  helpful  to  Paul. 

He  left  Athens  with  fixed  determination  that  he 
would  not  pursue  the  same  course  in  Corinth.  He 
would  preach  Christ  and  nothing  but  Christ  in  that 
city.  After  his  first  work  in  Corinth  he  wrote  to  the 
great  church  that  had  resulted  from  his  labours  there 
describing  his  first  appearance  among  them  in  these 
words:  ''And  I,  brethren,  when  I  came  unto  you, 
came  not  with  excellency  of  speech  or  of  wisdom, 
proclaiming  to  you  the  testimony  of  God.     For  I  de- 


146  Paul  the  Apostle 

termined  not  to  know  anything  among  you  save  Jesus 
Christ  and  him  crucified"  (1  Cor.  ii.  1,  2).  With 
this  determination  he  entered  Corinth,  and  the  great 
success  that  followed  his  preaching  showed  the  wis- 
dom of  his  course.  The  comparative  failure  at  Athens 
shows  the  weakness  of  philosophy  and  the  phenomenal 
success  at  Corinth  shows  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Paul  sent  word  back  by 
his  friends  who  accompanied  him  to  Athens  to  Silas 
and  Timothy,  who  had  remained  behind  at  Berea,  to 
join  him  at  their  earliest  opportunity.  The  record  in 
Acts  does  not  inform  us  whether  they  overtook  him 
in  Athens  or  not,  but  in  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Thes- 
salonians,  written  soon  after  leaving  Athens,  we  learn 
that  Timothy  joined  him  in  that  city. 

Silas  had  probably  remained  at  Berea  to  continue 
the  work  of  instructing  the  church.  Timothy,  on 
joining  Paul,  was  sent  to  Thessalonica,  as  is  seen  in 
these  words  :  * '  When  we  could  no  longer  forbear,  we 
thought  it  good  to  be  left  in  Athens  alone  and  sent 
Timothy,  our  brother  and  God's  minister  in  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ,  to  establish  you  and  comfort  you  con- 
cerning the  faith  "  (1  Thess.  iii.  1,  2).  We  are  not 
informed  as  to  the  purpose  of  this  mission,  but  some- 
thing that  Paul  regarded  as  urgent  made  the  journey 
necessary.  Paul  was  much  depressed  during  his  stay 
in  Athens,  and  when  he  took  leave  of  that  wicked 
and  idolatrous  city,  he  was  a  melancholy,  disap- 
pointed man.  His  failure  in  Athens  cast  a  gloom 
over  his  spirit,  and  it  took  some  time  for  him  to  re- 
cover from  the  depressing  effects  of  his  disappoint- 
ment. The  change  of  scene  and  environment  aided 
him  to  overcome  his  despondency. 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     147 

Taking  a  sorrowful  departure  from  Athens,  the 
city  that  he  never  visited  again,  Paul  passed  on  to 
Corinth.  The  Corinth  of  Paul's  day  was  a  new  city 
bearing  the  old  name,  and  built  among  the  ruins  of 
its  predecessor.  It  is  forty  miles  from  Athens  in  a 
due  west  course.  Paul  in  journeying  thither  must 
have  sailed  to  Cenchrea,  a  port  on  the  Sarouic  Gulf, 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth  which 
connects  the  southern  peninsula  of  Greece  with  the 
mainland  to  the  north.  The  distance  from  Cenchrea 
to  Corinth  was  only  eiglit  miles,  and  Paul  doubtless 
made  the  journey  on  foot.  The  chief  landmark  of 
Corinth  was  the  lofty  citadel  known  as  the  Aero  Co- 
rinthus.  It  rises  to  the  enormous  height  of  two  thou- 
sand feet,  and  its  dark  shadow  reaches  far  out  over 
the  sea.  As  Paul  walked  along  the  highway,  this 
towering  peak  was  in  full  view  all  the  way  from  the 
time  he  left  Cenchrea.  The  city  was  situated  on  the 
western  side  of  the  isthmus  and  at  the  head  of  the 
Gulf  of  Corinth.  The  location  was  favourable  to  com- 
merce, and  because  of  this  fact,  many  Jews  resided 
there.  Cenchrea  gave  theia-  an  outlet  towards  the 
east,  and  the  Gulf  of  Corinth  on  the  west  made 
connection  with  the  Adriatic  Sea.  This  put  the  im- 
portant ports  of  the  west  into  close  commercial  rela- 
tion with  Corinth.  Paul  was  alone  when  he  left 
Athens,  and  alone  he  entered  Corinth.  He  was  with- 
out money  and  without  friends,  but  not  without 
means  of  support.  The  industrial  training  that  he 
received  in  his  boyhood  served  him  well  in  this  time 
of  need.  The  first  effort  he  made  was  not  to  convert 
men  to  Christ,  but  to  find  employment  at  his  trade 
of  tent-making.      He  was  thrown  on  his  own  re- 


148  Paul  the  Apostle 

sources,  and  was  compelled  to  earn  his  own  expenses. 
He  was  fortunate  in  becoming  acquainted  with  a  man 
and  his  wife,  who  were  ever  afterwards  among  his 
best  and  dearest  friends.  These  were  Aquila  and 
Priscilla,  also  written  Prisca.  They  were  Jews  like 
himself. 

Aquila  was  a  native  of  Pontus,  a  province  in  Asia 
Minor,  touching  the  south  shore  of  the  Black  Sea. 
He  and  his  wife  had  migrated  to  Eome,  but  had  been 
driven  out  of  that  city  by  an  imperial  edict  banish- 
ing all  Jews  from  Italy.  Not  being  allowed  to  locate 
anywhere  in  Italy,  they  journeyed  to  Corinth,  and 
had  been  there  but  a  short  time  when  Paul  arrived. 
They  had  some  means  of  their  own,  and  were  con- 
ducting a  business  which  seems  to  have  been  prosper- 
ous. Tent-making  was  their  business,  and  their  out- 
put was  all  made  by  hand.  Having  learned  this  trade 
when  a  boy,  Paul  applied  to  them  for  employment. 
We  know  that  he  abode  with  them  and  worked  with 
them,  and  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  he  received  a 
stipulated  price  for  his  labour.  Let  us  not  think  less 
of  Paul  because  he  was  a  hired  labourer.  Jesus  was 
a  carpenter.  There  can  be  no  disgrace  in  honest  toil. 
Labour  has  been  dignified  in  the  life  of  the  Master, 
and  of  Paul,  His  chief  minister.  We  are  not  in- 
formed whether  Aquila  and  Priscilla  were  Christians 
or  not  when  Paul  met  them.  The  probability,  how- 
ever, is  that  they  were  not  till  their  hired  man  taught 
them  the  way  of  the  Lord  and  led  them  to  Christ. 

For  a  while  Paul  was  so  low  spirited  that  he  was 
not  very  aggressive  in  his  mission  work.  He  had 
not  yet  recovered  from  the  depression  of  spirits  that 
overcame  him  at  Athens.     The  first  of  all  of  Paul's 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     149 

letters  is  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  which 
was  written  soou  after  he  arrived  in  Corinth ;  and, 
in  tliat  document,  we  learn  much  of  his  inward  feel- 
ing at  this  time.  In  writing  to  the  brethren  in  Cor- 
inth, he  reminded  them  that  he  had  been  with  them 
in  weakness,  fear  and  much  trembling  (1  Cor.  ii.  3). 
During  these  days  of  weakness  and  fear,  he  laboured 
in  the  shop  of  the  tent- maker  through  the  week  and 
preached  in  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath.  His 
preaching  was  not  very  successful  at  first,  and  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  the  despondency  of  the  apos- 
tle had  much  to  do  with  his  lack  of  visible  results. 
A  man  who  is  down-hearted  and  discouraged  is  not 
at  his  best.  Paul  was  below  his  own  level  at  this 
time. 

This  period  of  discouragement  was  happily  ter- 
minated by  the  arrival  of  Silas  and  Timothy  from 
Macedonia.  It  is  probable  that  Luke  was  at  Phi- 
lippi  still.  The  indications  are  that  he  remained  near 
that  place  for  many  years.  These  brethren,  Silas  and 
Timothy,  brought  Paul  reports  from  the  churches 
and  kind  messages  from  his  friends  in  Macedonia. 
This  refreshed  him.  Timothy  came  from  Thessalo- 
nica  and  Silas  from  Berea,  and  from  them  Paul  learned 
the  general  condition  of  affairs  in  the  churches  in 
Macedonia.  After  the  arrival  of  his  friends,  Paul 
began  to  preach  with  more  zeal  and  energy  than 
had  characterized  his  labour  up  to  that  time.  He 
once  more  became  aggressive,  and  was  his  old  self 
again. 

When  he  argued  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  many 
Jews  opposed  him.  Their  opposition  increased  till 
they  became  angry  and  began  to  blaspheme.     Paul 


i^o  Paul  the  Apostle 

was  not  a  man  to  waste  time  in  casting  pearls  before 
swine.  He  turned  from  the  Jews  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  found  the  latter  williug  hearers.  His  parting 
message  to  the  Jews  was  this,  "Your  blood  be  upon 
your  own  heads  ;  I  am  clean  :  from  henceforth  I  will 
go  unto  the  Gentiles."  Having  said  this,  he  deliber- 
ately walked  out  of  the  synagogue,  followed  by  a  few 
devoted  friends.  Titus  Justus,  one  of  these  friends, 
owned  a  house  that  stood  next  door  to  the  synagogue, 
and  he  generously  tendered  Paul  the  use  of  it  as  a 
preaching  place.  This  man  was  a  Gentile  proselyte. 
It  is  not  known  that  he  ever  became  a  Christian,  but 
most  probably  he  did. 

One  of  the  men  who  walked  out  of  the  synagogue 
when  Paul  led  the  way  was  Crispus.  He  was  a 
ruler,  but  he  did  not  permit  his  popularity  in  the 
synagogue  to  keep  him  out  of  Christ.  His  family 
became  Christians  aloug  with  him.  "Many  of  the 
Corinthians,  hearing  the  word,  believed  and  were 
baptized"  (Acts  xviii.  8).  Two  of  the  converts, 
whose  names  are  not  given  in  the  narrative,  were 
Gaius  and  Stephanas  (1  Cor.  i.  15, 16).  Timothy  and 
Silas  did  most  of  the  baptizing.  Paul  could  not  re- 
member whether  he  baptized  any  except  the  parties 
mentioned  in  the  above  citation.  Paul  was  ac- 
customed to  have  one  or  more  assistants  with  him, 
aud  when  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  be  left 
alone  for  a  while,  he  was  always  downcast.  The  fact 
that  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue  embraced  Christianity 
shows  that  all  Jews  were  not  controlled  by  prejudice. 
The  fact  that  he  united  with  the  disciples  is  not  so 
remarkable  as  is  the  fact  that  he  renounced  a  high 
position  to  follow  his  convictions.     Not  every  man 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued    151 

would  be  willing  to  make  such  a  sacrifice.  His  con- 
duct is  very  much  to  his  credit,  and  we  should  like 
to  know  more  about  him. 

When  Timothy  ariived  from  Macedonia  and  re- 
ported to  Paul  the  condition  of  the  church  in  Thes- 
salonica,  the  apostle  immediately  wrote  his  first 
epistle  to  that  congregation.  By  studying  the 
epistle,  we  learn  much  about  the  church'  to  which 
it  was  written.  Timothy  had  just  come  when  Paul 
wrote  (iii.  6).  Paul  rejoiced  when  he  heard  of  their 
joy  (iii.  6-8).  It  is  not  our  purpose  to  examine  the 
contents  of  this  epistle,  but  the  letter  should  be 
studied  in  connection  with  Paul's  first  visit  to 
Corinth.  The  contents  show  why  it  was  written  and 
the  conditions  it  was  intended  to  meet.  Timothy 
remained  in  Corinth  but  a  short  time,  and  was  dis- 
patched to  Thessalonica  to  bear  the  epistle.  Silas 
remained  with  Paul. 

About  the  time  that  Timothy  went  to  Thessalonica, 
Paul  received  a  vision  that  gave  him  much  encourage- 
ment. The  Lord  who  had  appeared  to  him  in  Jeru- 
salem many  years  before  and  directed  him  to  leave 
the  city,  appeared  to  him  in  Corinth  and  told  him  to 
continue  to  preach  the  Gospel  without  fear.  Being 
thus  assured  that  no  harm  would  come  to  him  per- 
sonally and  that  his  labours  would  be  abundantly 
fruitful,  he  continued  to  preach  the  Gospel  with 
greater  power  and  effect  than  he  had  done.  He 
preached  in  the  city  for  eighteen  months,  which  was 
the  longest  time  that  he  had  spent  at  any  one  place 
since  Barnabas  found  him  in  Tarsus  and  took  him  to 
Antioch.  This  protracted  stay  was  for  a  twofold 
purpose  ;  he  not  only  laboured  to  convert  sinners  to 


152  Paul  the  Apostle 

Christ,  but  also  to  develop  the  spiritual  life  of  the 
congregation.  Tlie  principal  work  that  he  did  during 
the  latter  part  of  his  ministry  there  was  to  lead  the 
converted  heathen  into  the  fuller  light  and  life  of  the 
Gospel. 

Affairs  went  well  for  a  while ;  but  the  unbelieving 
Jews,  inflamed  with  jealousy  and  rage,  arose  with 
one  accord  against  Paul  and  brought  him  before  the 
proconsul  of  the  district,  under  the  charge  that  he 
taught  men  to  worship  God  contrary  to  the  law. 
This  proconsul  was  Gallio,  a  brother  of  Seneca,  the 
famous  philosopher  and  moralist.  Seneca  has  thus 
described  the  character  of  Gallio,  "No  mortal  man 
is  so  sweet  to  any  single  person  as  he  is  to  all  man- 
kind." "  Even  those  who  love  my  brother  Gallio  to 
the  uttermost  of  their  power  do  not  love  him  enough." 
It  is  unpleasant  to  record  that  both  of  these  brothers 
committed  suicide. 

Gallio  is  famous  for  his  good  judgment,  mild 
temper,  and  kindly  disposition.  He  had  but  recently 
come  into  the  province  to  assume  the  reins  of  power, 
and  the  Jews,  hoping  to  enlist  his  sympathy  and  in- 
fluence on  their  side  of  the  controversy,  made  haste 
to  bring  the  apostle  before  him.  The  law  that  Paul 
was  charged  with  breaking  here  was  the  Jewish  law, 
and  for  this  law  the  Eomans  cared  nothing.  The 
Jews  were  no  longer  a  nation  with  their  own  govern- 
ment and  code  of  laws,  but  were  tributary  to  the 
Eoman  Empire  and  subject  to  its  laws.  The  au- 
thorities of  the  empire  permitted  the  Jews  to  practice 
their  own  laws  so  far  as  it  applied  to  religious  ob- 
servances. They  hoped  for  a  favourable  decision 
from  Gallio,  supposing  that  he  would  forbid  a  Jew  to 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     153 

violate  the  laws  of  tlie  Jews.  The  proconsul,  how- 
ever, was  a  different  type  of  man  from  some  officials 
before  whom  Paul  had  been  arraigned  in  other  cities. 

He  listened  to  the  statement  of  the  case  with  ap- 
parent interest  and  real  respect,  and  as  Paul  was 
about  to  speak  in  his  own  defense,  broke  out  with  a 
speech  of  his  own.  He  was  indignant  that  a  matter 
80  trivial  should  be  brought  to  his  attention.  His 
keen  perception  enabled  him  to  see,  at  a  glance,  the 
malice  that  actuated  the  Jews,  and  he  was  determined 
that  no  such  procedure  should  be  recognized  in  his 
jurisdiction.  He  said  :  ''If  indeed  it  were  a  matter 
of  wrong  or  wicked  villainy,  O  ye  Jews,  reason  would 
that  I  should  bear  with  you  ;  but  if  they  are  ques- 
tions about  words  and  names  and  your  law,  look  to 
it  yourselves ;  I  am  not  minded  to  be  a  judge  in  these 
matters."  At  the  conclusion  of  this  short  speech, 
Gallio  drove  the  Jews  from  his  presence.  His  office 
was  that  of  governor  of  the  province,  and  he  had  no 
time  to  waste  in  tiying  to  adjust  such  matters.  The 
charge  against  Paul  was  too  trifling  for  consideration. 

The  proconsul  was  a  real  heathen,  but  wise  in 
matters  of  State.  His  speech  to  the  Jews  shows  that 
he  was  pitiably  ignorant  of  the  Christian  religion. 
To  him  the  trouble  was  over  words  and  names, 
nothing  more.  The  majority  of  the  people  present 
approved  the  wisdom  of  Gallio  in  dismissing  the 
case.  Sosthenes,  who  was  appointed  to  the  office 
of  ruler  in  the  synagogue  to  fill  the  -vacancy  made 
when  Crispus  became  a  Christian,  was  the  leader 
of  the  Jews ;  he  had  brought  the  case  before  Gallio 
and  made  the  speech  of  accusation  ;  and  when  the 
people  saw  how  the  governor  had  disposed  of  the 


154  ^^^^  ^^^  Apostle 

charge,  tliey  rushed  upon  Sosthenes  aud  administered 
to  Lim  a  severe  beating,  immediately  before  the  judg- 
ment seat,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  proconsul. 
Gallio  could  plainly  see  that  the  majority  sympathized 
■with  Paul.  He  did  not  try  to  restrain  the  mob, 
knowing  that  Sosthenes  richly  deserved  the  castiga- 
tion. 

Before  Paul  left  Corinth,  Timothy  returned  from 
Thessalonica.  The  report  that  he  brought  from  that 
church  made  it  necessary  for  Paul  to  write  another 
epistle  to  correct  the  misapprehensions  of  the  first 
one.  Both  of  the  Thessalonian  epistles  were  written 
within  a  few  months  of  each  other,  in  the  year  52. 

Paul  remained  in  Corinth  for  some  time  after  the 
incident  before  the  judgment  seat  of  the  proconsul, 
and  then  closed  his  labours  there  for  the  time 
being.  Here  we  lose  sight  of  Silas.  From  this  time 
forth  his  movements  are  unknown.  Some  think  that 
he  remained  in  Ooriuth  till  Paul  made  his  third  mis- 
sionary journey,  and  this  conjecture  is  plausible. 
"When  Paul  left  the  city,  he  left  behind  him  many 
true  and  devoted  friends,  but  the  two  to  whom  he 
was  most  devoted  accompanied  him  on  his  journey. 
These  were  Aquila  aud  Priscilla,  the  first  friends  he 
made  in  Corinth,  the  friends  who  had  given  him 
employment  in  time  of  need,  and  who  had  been  his 
helpers  in  the  Gospel  for  one  year  and  six  months. 
They  had  passed  through  trying  scenes  together,  and 
were  destined  to  be  much  together  in  the  future. 
They  passed  across  the  isthmus  to  Cenchrea,  and 
from  that  port  sailed  away  towards  the  east.  Before 
Paul  sailed  from  Caesarea,  the  time  of  a  vow  that  he 
had  taken  upon  himself  expired.     He  had  allowed 


Second  Missionary  Journey  Continued     155 

his  hair  to  grow  long  as  did  these  under  the  Nazarite 
vow  of  the  Jewish  law.  At  Ccnchrea  he  had  his  hair 
cut  and  resumed  the  ordinary  course  of  life. 

When  Paul  arrived  at  Ephesus,  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  ^gean  Sea,  he  went  into  the  synagogue 
and  delivered  a  sermon.  The  Jews  who  heard  him 
were  much  pleased,  and  earnestly  requested  him  to 
remain  longer.  He  did  not  consent  to  stay,  but  left 
a  promise  to  visit  them  in  the  future,  if  God  should 
so  will.  He  remembered  that  once  before  he  had  his 
face  turned  towards  that  city,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
had  turned  him  back,  and  he  thought  best  to  make 
the  promise  to  visit  the  city  in  the  future  subject  to 
God's  will.  He  lived  to  fulfill  the  promise  and  to 
work  wonders  among  the  people.  His  stay  this  time 
was  brief,  and  when  he  departed  to  go  into  Syria,  he 
left  his  two  companions  behind  him.  We  can  well 
believe  that  the  separation  from  Aquila  and  Priscilla 
was  solemn  and  affecting,  but  Ephesus  was  so  ripe 
for  the  harvest  that  Paul  thought  it  best  to  leave  his 
faithful  helpers  there  to  prepare  the  people  for  his 
return.  Once  more  we  find  the  apostle  a  solitary 
traveller.  There  were  others  in  the  ship,  it  is  true, 
but  he  was  alone,  a  strange  man  among  strange  men. 
There  is  no  mention  made  of  any  landing  between 
Ephesus  and  Csesarea.  The  ship  passed  near  Cyprus 
en  route  and  landed  at  Csesarea,  where  Peter  had 
opened  the  door  of  the  kingdom  to  the  Gentiles  many 
years  before. 

There  is  some  uncertainty  as  to  Paul's  movements 
after  landing  at  Ceesarea.  It  is  said  that  he  "went 
up  and  saluted  the  church."  Some  understand  this 
to  refer  to  the  church  in  Csesarea,  and  others  con- 


156  Paul  the  Apostle 

tend  that  he  visited  the  church  in  Jerusalem.  The 
Twentieth  Century  New  Testament  sustains  the  latter 
contention.  ' '  On  reaching  Ciesarea,  he  went  up  to 
Jerusalem  and  exchanged  greetings  with  the  church, 
and  then  went  down  to  Antioch"  (Acts  xviii.  22). 

We  can  imagine  the  feelings  of  the  apostle  as  he 
entered  Jerusalem.  He  had  been  there  many  times, 
and  was  among  familiar  scenes.  Many  changes  had 
taken  place  since  he  first  saw  the  city,  and  the  greatest 
of  these  changes  was  in  himself.  He  gave  the  church 
a  glowing  account  of  his  work  among  the  Gentiles. 
Jerusalem  was  the  home  of  Silas  whom  Paul  had  left 
at  Corinth,  and  many  of  his  friends  no  doubt  enquired 
about  him.  Paul's  stay  was  short.  He  hurried  away 
to  Antioch,  to  the  church  from  which  he  and  Silas 
had  gone  out  about  three  years  before.  He  had  trav- 
elled on  this  tour  about  3,200  miles,  and  was  glad  to 
have  time  for  a  needed  rest. 


XI 

THE  THIED  MISSIONAEY  JOUENEY  BEGUN: 
FEOM  ANTIOCH  TO  EPHESUS 

IN  describing  the  time  spent  at  Antiocli  on  this 
occasion  Luke  is  very  brief  and  indefinite. 
He  merely  says  that  the  apostle  spent  ''some 
time"  there,  and  in  few  words  mentions  a  journey 
that  it  took  several  months  to  accomplish.  It  reached 
across  at  least  six  hundred  miles.  He  passed  through 
Galatia  and  Phrygia,  and  in  order  to  do  this,  he 
passed  through  Syria  and  Cilicia.  Once  more,  pass- 
ing through  the  Cilician  Gates,  he  again  reached  the 
highlands  of  Asia  Minor.  On  his  first  visit  to  these 
countries  Barnabas  was  with  him,  on  his  second  tour 
Silas  was  his  companion,  and  from  Lystra  onward 
Timothy  was  his  fellow-worker  also.  And  now  at 
the  time  of  which  we  write,  he  was  making  his  third 
tour  alone.  He  no  doubt  visited  Lystra,  Derbe,  and 
the  Pisidian  Antioch,  all  of  them  scenes  of  his  former 
labours.  He  found  many  old  acquaintances  among 
the  churches. 

At  Lystra  many  questions  were  doubtless  asked 
about  Timothy.  Had  he  made  good?  Where  was 
he  labouring  at  that  time  ?  It  was  a  good  report  that 
Paul  was  able  to  make  to  Timothy's  kindred  and 
friends  in  his  home  town.  The  young  evangelist  had 
proved  himself  worthy  to  be  the  companion  and 

157 


1^8  Paul  the  Apostle 

co-labourer  of  the  apostle.  Paul  made  no  long  stops. 
Epliesus  was  his  objective  poiut.  There  he  had  left 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  to  labour  iu  the  Gospel  and  there 
he  had  an  api)ointment  that  he  made  while  on  his 
way  to  Jerusalem,  to  return  and  preach  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ.  He  was  hastening  to  meet  his 
friends  and  fill  his  engagement. 

Before  the  apostle  reached  Ephesus,  events  of  much 
moment  had  transpired  there.  Apollos,  a  learned 
and  eloquent  Jew  from  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  had 
come  to  the  city  to  preach.  He  was  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures  ;  but  the  work  that  he  did  was  imperfect 
for  the  reason  that  he  had  been  imperfectly  taught. 
He  told  all  he  knew,  but  he  did  not  know  enough. 
He  had  learned  nothing  of  the  Gospel  except  John' s 
baptism.  His  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  extended  no 
farther  than  the  teaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  we 
can  readily  see  that  his  conception  of  Christ  and  the 
Gospel  was  sadly  defective.  He  looked  for  Christ 
yet  to  come.  Aquila  and  Priscilla  went  to  hear  him 
preach,  and  seeiug  that  he  was  very  much  in  need  of 
instruction,  took  him  into  their  confidence,  gained  his 
good  will,  and  taught  him  the  way  of  the  Lord  more 
jierfectly.  They  did  this  very  delicately  so  as  not  to 
inako  him  feel  sensitive.  Tliey  were  too  late  in  their 
instruction,  however,  to  prevent  an  occurrence  that 
otherwise  would  have  been  avoided.  He  had  al- 
ready baptized  twelve  persons  to  whom  he  had  im- 
parted his  imperfect  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ. 
What  Apollos  could  have  done,  had  his  matchless 
eloquence  been  coupled  with  a  fall  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel,  can  be  estimated  by  what  he  did  later  in  the 
resplendent  light  of  perfect  teaching. 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       159 

Having  learned  the  real  truth  of  tlie  Gospel,  Apol- 
los  did  not  tarry  long  in  the  city.  Either  of  his  own 
accord  or  ux)ou  the  advice  of  his  friends  who  had  led 
him  into  the  light,  he  passed  over  to  Corinth  on  tlie 
western  side  of  the  JEgean  Sea.  There  was  a  large 
and  flourishing  congregation  of  Christians  in  Corinth, 
and  there  the  cause  was  well  established.  We  have 
already  seen  how  it  had  been  founded  by  Paul  and 
how  it  was  nurtured  by  Silas,  after  the  apostle  had 
left  the  city  on  his  voyage  to  Syria.  Apollos  bore 
letters  of  commendation  from  the  brethren  in  Ephesus, 
and  was  given  a  glad  welcome  in  Corinth  where 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  many  friends.  This  en- 
dorsement served  to  introduce  him  and  give  him  a 
commanding  influence  from  the  start.  He  did  not 
have  to  spend  much  time  getting  acquainted  with  the 
people.  Under  his  preaching  the  church  was  greatly 
strengthened. 

A  short  time  after  Apollos  left  Ephesus,  Paul  made 
his  appearance  in  that  city.  He  had  passed  through 
the  uplands  of  Asia  Minor  and  come  down  to 
Ephesus,  approaching  the  city  from  the  interior. 
There  is  no  record  of  the  incidents  of  the  journey  till 
he  reached  Ephesus.  This  city  became  the  third 
capital  of  Christianity.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  began 
in  Jerusalem,  spread  to  Antioch,  and  passed  on  to 
Ephesus — all  within  a  period  of  something  like 
twenty  years.  Numerous  intervening  points  of  less 
importance  had  been  revolutionized  by  the  Gospel. 
The  country  was  ablaze  with  the  fire  from  heaven. 
Ephesus  was  situated  one  mile  from  the  Icarian  Sea, 
an  arm  of  the  -i^Egean,  on  alow  swampy  plain  through 
which  the  river  Cayster  winds  its  way.     The  haven 


i6o  Paul  the  Apostle 

had  been  one  of  the  best  on  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor, 
but  in  Paul's  day  it  had  deteriorated  on  account  of 
neglect.  It  had  been  filled  up  in  part  by  silt  deposits, 
but  was  still  thronged  with  trading  vessels  from  many 
lands.  The  city  was  large,  and  many  different  nations 
and  tribes  were  represented  among  its  inhabitants. 
It  was  the  site  of  one  of  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia. 
It  was  rich  in  wealth  and  resplendent  with  beauty. 
The  calamity  predicted  in  Eevelation  ii.  5  has  long 
since  become  a  fact,  and  by  it  we  are  furnished  with 
a  melancholy  testimony  to  the  truthfulness  of  the 
Master's  words.  The  candlestick  has  been  removed 
out  of  its  place,  and  a  desolate  ruin  is  all  that  re- 
mains to  mark  the  location  of  this  once  splendid 
city. 

The  most  notable  feature  of  the  city  was  the  temple 
of  Diana.  It  was  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet 
long,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide  ;  a  row 
of  marble  columns  extended  all  around  it,  standing 
less  than  two  feet  apart.  There  were  one  hundred 
and  twenty  of  these  columns,  each  one  of  which  had 
been  given  by  a  king.  The  temple  contained  a  stair- 
way that  had  been  made  from  a  single  vine  from  the 
Island  of  Cyprus,  and  the  interior  was  magnificently 
decorated  with  sculpture  and  painting.  The  inner 
sanctuary  contained  a  coarse  image  of  a  woman  with 
many  breasts.  This  was  perhaps  to  symbolize  two 
ideas — fruitfulness  in  human  propagation,  and  the 
fact  that  the  streams  of  physical  life  have  their 
source  in  the  breasts  of  nature.  This  image  was  be-' 
lieved  to  have  been  made  by  Jupiter  and  dropped 
down  from  heaven  as  a  special  gift  to  the  city. 
Ephesus  was  known  far  and  wide  as  the  site  of  this 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       l6l 

temple  aud  the  custodian  of  this  image,  but  even  the 
guardianship  of  Jupiter  was  not  sufficient  to  secure 
the  temple  aud  the  city  from  destruction. 

Ou  the  night  that  Alexander  the  Great  was  born, 
Herostratus,  an  Ephesian,  set  fire  to  the  magnificent 
temple  aud  it  was  burned  to  the  ground.  The  man 
who  did  this  evil  deed  wanted  to  make  a  name  in 
history,  but  was  incapable  of  doing  anything  good  by 
which  to  be  remembered,  and  resorted  to  incendi- 
arism. It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  this 
temple  was  destroyed  long  before  Paul's  time.  It  was 
rebuilt  on  a  still  more  splendid  scale,  if  possible,  and 
it  was  this  rebuilt  temple  that  Paul  saw.  It  was 
plundered  by  the  Goths,  when  the  avalanche  of 
invasion  rolled  over  the  nations  of  the  south,  aud 
soon  afterwards  it  became  a  neglected  ruin.  Some 
of  the  material  of  this  temple  has  been  worked  into 
other  buildings.  The  green  jasper  columns  that  sup- 
port the  dome  of  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia  in  Con- 
stantinople were  once  in  the  temple  of  Diana,  and  in 
many  of  the  cathedrals  scattered  throughout  southern 
Europe  other  fragments  of  this  celebrated  structure 
can  be  found. 

When  Paul  arrived  at  Ephesus  he  found  the  twelve 
persons  who  had  been  baptized  by  ApoUos,  and  in 
order  to  test  their  knowledge  of  the  religion  of  Christ, 
he  asked  them  if  they  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit 
since  they  believed  ;  the  manner  in  which  they  an- 
swered him  was  sufficient  to  convince  him  that  their 
knowledge  was  woefully  incomplete.  They  had  not 
so  much  as  heard  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  when  the 
apostle  asked  them  as  to  their  baptism,  they  said  that 
they  had  received  only  the  baptism  of  John.     Apol- 


l62  Paul  the  Apostle 

los  who  taught  them  knew  nothing  but  the  teaching 
of  John,  and  gave  them  no  information  beyond  the 
statement  that  the  Messiah  was  yet  to  come.  They 
had  accepted  all  the  truth  they  had  heard,  and  were 
anxious  to  learn  more.  This  shows  their  sincerity. 
All  people  are  not  so  consistent.  Paul  explained  to 
them  that  John  baptized  in  water,  preparing  those 
who  accepted  his  baptism  to  receive  the  Christ  who 
should  come  after  him.  He  also  told  them  that  the 
promised  one  had  come  since  the  time  that  John  an- 
nounced His  coming.  As  soon  as  he  explained  to 
them  that  the  Christ  had  already  come  they  saw  their 
error  and  accepted  the  full  Gospel.  They  received 
Christian  baptism,  after  which  Paul  laid  his  hands 
on  them  and  conferred  upon  them  power  to  speak 
with  tongues  and  prophesy.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  church  in  Ephesus.  There  were  other  disciples 
in  the  city,  but  they  were  few  in  number.  The 
planting  of  the  church  there  must  be  dated  from 
Paul's  second  visit  to  the  city. 

The  rebaptism  of  the  twelve  teaches  us  that  John's 
baptism  was  not  valid  after  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
We  know  that  it  was  accepted  before  that  time.  The 
apostles,  chosen  by  Jesus  and  commissioned  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  whole  creation,  had  received  John's 
baptism,  and  no  other  was  required  of  them.  The 
baptism  authorized  by  Jesus  was  first  administered 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  from  that  time  forward 
the  baptism  of  John  was  not  recognized.  The  case 
of  the  twelve  persons  in  Ephesus  was  a  test  case,  and 
is  the  only  one  on  record  as  occurring  after  the  intro- 
duction of  the  baptism  ordained  by  Christ. 

When  Paul  had  corrected  the  errors  of  his  prede- 


Third  Missionary.  Journey  Begun       163 

cessor  by  completiug  his  uufinisbed  work,  he  went 
into  the  synagogue  and  for  three  mouths  fearlessly 
preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Many  accepted  the 
message,  and  many  also  rejected  it.  Others  not  only 
refused  to  accept  it  but  openly  denounced  it  as  false. 
When  the  apostle  saw  that  some  viewed  his  preach- 
ing with  derision,  he  showed  a  high  degree  of  cour- 
age and  independence.  He  withdrew  his  followers 
from  the  synagogue  and  found  another  meeting  place. 
The  Christian  congregation  in  that  city  was  not 
henceforth  to  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  number 
comprising  the  synagogue,  but  as  an  independent 
and  separate  organization.  The  brethren  met  in  a 
schoolhouse. 

Tyrannus,  who  conducted  a  school  of  philosophy 
or  rhetoric,  was  probably  among  the  number  con- 
verted to  Christ  by  Paul's  preaching,  and  was  will- 
ing to  allow  Paul  the  use  of  his  lecture  hall  as  a 
place  to  preach.  Whether  the  disciples  rented  the 
hall  or  whether  Tyrannus  donated  the  use  of  it,  we 
are  not  told.  We  do  know  that  the  relationship  of 
the  aj)ostle  and  the  teacher  of  the  school  was  pleasant 
and  fraternal.  The  arrangement,  whatever  it  was, 
was  satisfactory  to  both,  and  for  two  years  Paul  con- 
tinued to  occupy  the  schoolroom.  During  this 
time,  he  saw  the  church  grow  from  a  small  and 
weak  congregation  to  a  power  that  revolutionized 
the  social  and  religious  life  of  the  entire  city.  Two 
years  of  faithful  labour  wrought  great  wonders. 

The  apostle's  influence  was  not  confined  to  the 
city,  but  "All  that  were  in  Asia  heard  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  both  Jews  andvGreeks."  No  doubt  he 
had  many  helpers  who  laboured  under  his  direction. 


164  Paul  the  Apostle 

The  work  greatly  prospered,  and  many  out -stations 
were  established.  Congregations  were  formed  in  the 
different  villages  throughout  the  country.  It  could 
not  have  been  otherwise  if  all  Asia  had  been  evangel- 
ized. "  God  wrought  special  miracles  by  the  hand 
of  Paul,"  and  the  work  grew  greater  still.  From 
the  apostle  handkerchiefs  were  taken  to  those  that 
were  too  sick  to  be  brought  to  him,  and  all  the  sick 
were  healed.  Even  the  demons  fled  out  of  those 
possessed  of  them  at  the  mention  of  the  name  of 
Jesus,  and  the  demoniacs  were  restored  to  their  rea- 
son. Everything  that  occurred  served  to  help  the 
church.  Paul  had  never  met  with  such  astounding 
success  in  all  his  previous  experience. 

In  Ephesus  there  lived  some  men  who  professed  to 
be  exorcists.  They  claimed  that  they  had  the  power 
to  cast  out  demons.  One  of  these  men,  whose  name 
was  Sceva,  a  Jewish  chief  priest,  had  seven  sous  who 
boasted  of  this  power.  They  knew  that  Paul  had 
relieved  many  demoniacs,  and  supposed  that  the 
name  of  Jesus  possessed  some  magical  charm.  And, 
as  Paul  had  used  this  name  in  casting  out  demons, 
they  decided  that  they  would  adopt  the  apostle's 
method  and  endeavour  to  work  it  themselves.  They 
were  not  willing  to  make  a  public  attempt  until  they 
had  made  a  private  test  of  their  ability.  Accord- 
ingly, they  decided  to  make  a  test.  Two  of  these 
impostors  enticed  a  demoniac  into  a  private  room 
for  the  purpose  of  experimenting  on  him.  He  was 
caused  to  stand  before  them,  and  one  of  them  said, 
''I  adjure  you  by  Jesus  whom  Paul  preacheth;" 
but,  instead  of  the  evil  spirit's  going  out  of  the  man, 
as  it  would  have  done  before  Paul,  the  demon  re- 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       165 

plied,  "Jesus  I  know  aud  Paul  I  know;  but  who 
are  ye? "  The  man,  possessed  of  the  evil  spirit,  was 
enraged  by  the  demon  within  him,  aud  rushed  fran- 
tically upon  the  pretenders,  tearing  aud  biting  them 
with  such  fierceness  that  they  ran  out  of  the  house 
with  their  clothing  torn  to  tatters  and  their  bodies 
bleeding  with  many  wounds.  By  this  humiliating 
experience  these  impostors  were  taught  that  the 
name  of  Jesus  was  too  sacred  to  be  used  by  the  jug- 
gler and  the  humbug. 

The  secret  could  not  be  kept.  The  people  of  the 
city  laughed,  and  the  impostors  fell  into  disfavour. 
Fear  fell  upon  all,  aud  the  name  of  Jesus  was  magni- 
fied. The  Gospel  made  great  gains,  and  the  pre- 
tended magicians  continued  to  lose  ground.  Their 
hypocrisy  had  been  exposed,  and  the  people  no 
longer  honoured  them.  Some  of  them  were  con- 
strained to  confess  their  duplicity.  They  came  to 
Paul  aud  declared  their  deeds.  They  showed  how 
they  had  managed  to  delude  the  people  and  hold 
sway  over  them.  However,  they  never  confessed 
their  deeds  till  they  had  first  confessed  Christ. 
Many  of  them  who  had  formerly  practiced  on  the 
credulity  of  the  people,  and  who  had  accumulated 
large  libraries  treating  of  magic  and  legerdemain 
brought  their  books  together  and  burned  them  in  a 
public  place.  The  value  of  these  books  is  stated  at 
fifty  thousand  pieces  of  silver.  In  American  money 
this  would  amount  to  more  than  eight  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  tricks  of  the  magician  and  the  juggler 
have  no  interest  to  the  man  who  has  found  Christ. 
The  confession  of  these  tricksters  and  the  burning 
of  the  books  gave  further  impetus  to  the  cause  of 


i66  Paul  the  Apostle 

Christ.  "So  mightily  grew  the  word  of  the  Lord 
and  prevailed."  It  grew  upon  the  will  and  the 
affections  of  the  people ;  it  grew  mightily ;  it  pre- 
vailed. The  religion  of  Christ  became  the  greatest 
power  in  the  city,  and  the  church  the  most  popular 
institution. 

The  strength  of  the  church  became  such  that  Paul 
began  to  think  of  other  fields  that  were  white  for  the 
harvest.  He  planned  journeys  that  it  would  have 
taken  him  several  years  to  complete.  He  intended 
to  go  through  Macedonia  and  Achaia  to  Jerusalem, 
and  thence  to  Eome.  He  sent  Timothy  and  Erastus, 
who  had  been  with  him  some  time  in  Ephesus,  into 
Macedonia,  expecting  to  follow  them  himself  in  the 
near  future.  The  plan  was  carried  out,  but  in  a  way 
far  different  from  that  which  Paul  expected.  He  did 
go  through  Macedonia  to  Jerusalem  and  on  to  Eome, 
and  it  will  be  our  pleasant  task,  at  the  proper  time, 
to  follow  him  all  the  way,  and  note  the  incidents  of 
the  journey. 

Timothy  had  been  sent  as  far  as  Corinth  (1  Cor- 
iv.  17);  and  as  that  city  was  the  home  of  Erastus, 
who  had  accompanied  him  from  Ephesus  through 
Macedonia,  and  who  had  long  been  absent  from 
home,  it  is  probable  that  they  both  went  on  to  Cor- 
inth together.  At  a  later  period,  Erastus  was  treas- 
urer of  the  city,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  he 
held  that  office  at  this  time  (Eom.  xvi.  23).  Because 
of  some  statements  in  2  Corinthians,  some  think 
that  Paul  had,  previous  to  this  time,  visited  Corinth 
and  returned  to  Ephesus. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  time  and  place  of  the 
writing  of  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians.     In 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       167 

1  Corinthians  xvi.  8,  9,  the  apostle  writes,  ''I  will 
tarry  at  Ephesus  till  Pentecost ;  for  a  great  and  effec- 
tual door  is  opened  to  me  and  there  are  many  adver- 
saries." This  door  was  opened  by  the  book  burning 
already  mentioned.  The  epistle  was  written  during 
the  period  of  prosperity  that  followed  the  victory 
over  the  magicians.  It  is  not  the  first  epistle  that 
Paul  wrote  to  the  church  in  Corinth,  notwithstand- 
ing the  title  it  bears.  An  earlier  and,  perhaps,  a 
much  shorter  epistle  had  been  written  to  that  church, 
and  is  mentioned  by  Paul  in  1  Corinthians  v.  9. 
This  letter  has  been  lost.  The  document  that  we 
know  as  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  was 
written  about  the  time  that  Timothy  and  Erastus  left 
Ephesus  to  go  into  Macedonia,  and  it  is  almost  certain 
that  one  of  these  men  bore  the  epistle  to  its  desti- 
nation. 

The  epistle  was  called  forth  by  certain  sinful  prac- 
tices that  were  rife  in  the  church  in  Corinth,  where 
many  kinds  of  sin  and  disorder  prevailed.  By 
studying  this  letter  we  obtain  much  knowledge  of  the 
internal  condition  of  the  church  at  the  time  the 
apostle  wrote.  The  object  of  the  communication  was 
to  correct  the  disorders  that  it  rebukes.  Paul  ob- 
tained his  information  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
church  from  some  members  of  the  household  of  Chloe, 
and  who  were  members  of  the  Corinthian  church 
(1  Cor.  i.  11).  He  thus  learned  that  the  congrega- 
tion was  divided  into  parties  (i.  12 ;  iii.  1-4)  ;  that 
some  of  the  brethren  were  going  to  law  with  each 
other  before  heathen  judges  (vi.  1-18)  ;  that  adultery, 
and  even  the  worse  crime  of  incest,  were  openly 
practiced  (v.  1-13)  j  that  some  of  the  members  of  the 


i68  Paul  the  Apostle 

church  denied  his  authority  as  an  apostle  (iv.  1-6 ; 
xiv.  21) ;  that  some  of  the  Corinthian  women  were 
violating  the  common  rules  of  modesty  and  decency 
in  the  public  meetings  of  the  church  (xi.  1-16)  ;  that 
there  was  much  confusion  arising  from  jealousy  in 
regard  to  spiritual  gifts  (Chapters  xii.,  xiii.,  xiv.); 
that  the  sacred  institution  of  the  Lord's  supper  had 
been  grossly  perverted  by  those  who  should  have 
known  better  than  to  practice  such  sin  (xi.  17-31)  ; 
and  further  still,  that  he  had  received  letters  from 
certain  persons  in  the  church  asking  him  about  mar- 
riage and  divorce,  and  eating  meat  offered  to  idols 
(vii.  1  ;  viii.  1). 

All  of  these  questions  are  answered  and  all  of 
these  sins  rebuked  in  the  epistle.  The  language  is 
sometimes  severe  in  tone.  The  condition  of  the 
church  was  deplorable,  and  the  apostle  felt  impelled 
to  rebuke  with  harshness.  The  church  had  cost  him 
much  pain,  labour  and  sorrow.  He  never  wrote  any- 
thing in  his  first  epistle  to  indicate  the  deep  feelings 
and  emotions  that  he  experienced  when  writing,  but 
in  his  second  epistle  he  wrote,  "Out  of  much  afflic- 
tion and  anguish  of  heart,  I  wrote  to  you  with  many 
tears  "  (2  Cor.  ii.  4).  He  was  evidently  overflowing 
with  grief  when  he  placed  that  epistle  in  the  hands 
of  Timothy  or  Erastus  to  be  delivered  to  his  erring 
but  beloved  brethren  of  Corinth. 

Soon  after  these  two  brethren  had  been  sent  away 
on  the  mission  to  Macedonia,  serious  trouble  arose  in 
Ephesus.  A  riot  occurred  in  the  city,  and  Paul  was 
involved  in  it.  He  had  denounced  idolatry  in  the 
strongest  terms,  and  the  guild  of  silversmiths  arose 
against  him,  and  accused  him  of  injuring  their  busi- 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       169 

ness.  These  adversaries  (meutioued  in  1  Cor.  xvi.  18) 
became  very  aggressive.  A  man  named  Demetrius 
was  their  leader.  He  and  several  others  of  the  same 
craft  had  their  income  from  making  silver  images  as 
souvenirs  to  supply  the  demands  of  the  tourists  who 
visited  the  temple  of  Diana.  These  images  were  im- 
itations of  the  one  within  the  temple.  Calling  his 
fellow-craftsmen  together,  Demetrius  delivered  an 
inflammatory  address  to  them  and  roused  them  to 
active  opposition.  He  told  of  the  falling  off  in  the 
sale  of  "shrines,"  and  very  properly  attributed  the 
decrease  in  business  to  the  preaching  of  Paul.  The 
apostle  had  said  in  Ephesus  what  he  had  said  in 
Athens,  and  still  earlier  at  Lystra,  that  there  were  no 
gods  made  with  hands.  Demetrius  quoted  him  cor- 
rectly. If  the  people  should  believe  Paul,  the  temple 
would  be  deserted  and  the  market  for  shrines  des- 
troyed, and  the  city,  known  throughout  the  world 
as  the  seat  of  the  most  splendid  of  all  temples,  would 
lose  its  prestige.  Should  the  temple  fall  into  dis- 
favour, the  city  would  diminish  in  popularity  and 
importance. 

The  silversmiths  were  filled  with  intense  anger, 
and  raised  a  cheer  for  their  favourite  goddess,  saying, 
"  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians."  The  enthusiasm 
of  the  artisans  spread  to  the  populace,  and  the  tumult 
increased.  Two  of  Paul's  companions,  Gains  and 
Aristarchus,  men  of  Macedonia,  were  seized  and 
dragged  into  the  theatre,  followed  by  a  throng  of 
angry  men.  The  theatre  was  made  in  the  natural 
rock,  open  to  the  sky,  and  large  enough  to  accommo- 
date thirty  thousand  men.  The  frenzied  mob  took 
Gains  and  Aristarchus  thence  in  order  to  find  room 


lyo  Paul  the  Apostle 

for  the  large  number  that  had  gathered  under  the  ex- 
citement of  the  moment.  Paul  was  not  present  when 
his  companions  were  seized,  and  it  is  perhaj^s  fortu- 
nate that  he  was  not ;  but  when  he  heard  that  they 
had  been  forcibly  dragged  into  the  theatre,  and  fear- 
ing that  they  would  be  murdered,  he  endeavoured  to 
go  to  their  rescue.  He  could  not  think  of  being  safe 
himself  when  the  lives  of  his  friends  that  he  loved 
and  trusted  were  in  danger,  but  he  had  other  friends 
who  persuaded  him  not  to  risk  his  life  in  that  way. 
It  is  probable  that  Paul  refers  to  this  exciting  experi- 
ence in  2  Corinthians  i.  8-10. 

After  telling  how  Paul's  life  was  saved,  Luke  pro- 
ceeds to  record  what  took  place  inside  the  theatre. 
Excitement  ran  high,  some  cried  one  thing  and  some 
another,  and  many  did  not  know  the  cause  of  the 
gathering.  Alexander,  a  Jew,  was  put  forward  by 
the  Jews  and  began  to  address  the  assembly.  They 
knew  him,  and  being  aware  that  he  and  Paul  were 
both  Jews,  refused  to  hear  him  speak  in  behalf  of  the 
latter's  friends.  They  howled  him  down  with  the 
familiar  exclamation,  ''Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephe- 
sians."  They  kept  up  a  continuous  roar  of  shouting 
for  two  hours.  The  Jews  as  a  class  feared  the  mob. 
They  opposed  idolatry  as  did  Paul,  and  expected  to 
be  classed  with  him  as  opposed  to  the  temple  and  its 
service.  If  Alexander  had  been  permitted  to  finish 
his  speech,  he  probably  would  have  said  that  Paul 
was  a  degenerate,  an  apostate  from  the  faith  of  Israel, 
and  that  the  orthodox  Jews  should  not  be  held  ac- 
countable for  his  conduct.  It  may  be  that  the  mob 
saw  the  point  he  was  trying  to  make  and  refused,  on 
that    account,   to    hear    him  further,  drowning  his 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Begun       171 

speech  in  a  torrent  of  tumultuous  noise.  This  is  one 
of  the  ways  a  coward  meets  argument. 

After  two  hours  of  excitement  and  shouting,  the 
town  clerk  arose,  and  with  a  few  well  chosen  words 
put  an  end  to  the  riotous  scene.  The  speech  can  be 
read  in  Acts  xix.  35-41.  He  stated  what  his  hearers 
regarded  as  facts,  that  all  men  knew  that  Ephesus 
was  temple-keeper  for  Diana,  that  all  men  believed 
that  the  image  within  the  temple  had  fallen  down 
from  Jupiter,  and  that  these  facts  were  too  well 
known  to  be  disputed.  He  exhorted  them  to  act 
with  calmness  and  deliberation,  and  to  do  nothing 
rash.  He  declared  that  Paul  and  his  friends  were 
neither  robbers  of  the  temple  nor  blasphemers  of  the 
goddess,  and  that  Demetrius  had  access  to  the  civil 
courts  where  any  grievance  that  he  might  have 
against  the  Christians  could  be  easily  adjusted. 
Then  he  reminded  the  people  that  the  city  was  in 
danger  of  incurring  the  wrath  of  the  Emperor  for 
allowing  such  a  riot  to  occur,  there  being  no  reason 
that  they  could  give  for  such  an  outbreak. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address,  the  assembly 
quietly  filed  out  of  the  theatre,  and  the  turbulent 
scene  ended  and  quiet  was  restored.  Gains  and 
Aristarchus,  who  had  been  so  near  to  death  at  the 
hands  of  the  angry  populace,  made  their  escape,  and 
for  many  years  laboured  in  the  Gospel.  Both  of 
them  afterwards  made  the  journey  with  Paul  from 
Corinth  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  xx.  3,  4) ;  Aristarchus 
was  with  him  on  the  voyage  to  Eome  as  a  fellow- 
prisoner  (Acts  xxvii.  1,  2).  He  was  also  with  him 
during  at  least  a  portion  of  the  time  of  his  first  im- 
prisonment in  Eome  (Col.  iv.  10).     Gains  returned 


172  Paul  the  Apostle 

to  Corinth  after  the  riot  in  Ephesus,  and  it  is  almost 
certain  that  Aristarchus  went  with  him.  When 
Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Eomans  a  few  months 
after  leaving  Ephesus,  he  was  in  the  home  of  Gains 
in  Corinth  (Eom.  xvi.  23)  ;  and  when  he  started  to 
Jerusalem  soon  after  writing  the  epistle,  both  Gaius 
and  Aristarchus  were  his  companions  on  the  journey 
(Acts  XX.  3,  4). 


xn 

THE    THIED    MISSIONAEY    JOUENEY    CON- 
TINUED :  FEOM  EPHESUS  THEOUGH 
MACEDONIA  TO  JEEUSALEM 

PAUL  remaiDed  longer  in  Ephesus  than  in  any 
other  city  in  which  he  laboured  during  his 
entire  ministry,  unless  his  imprisonment  in 
Eome  covered  a  longer  period.  His  long  stay  in 
Ephesus  was  brought  to  an  abruiJt  close  by  the  up- 
rising of  the  silversmiths.  The  apostle  passed  unin- 
j  ured  through  the  perils  of  that  day,  but  such  strong 
feeling  had  been  aroused  against  him  as  to  render  it 
unsafe  for  him  to  remain.  The  great  and  effectual 
door  did  not  stand  open  long.  His  many  adversaries 
had  won  the  victory  over  him  and  closed  the  door  in 
his  face,  thus  forcing  him  to  leave  the  city. 

He  gathered  a  few  of  his  friends  about  him,  took 
leave  of  them,  and  departed  for  Macedonia.  The 
parting  was  sorrowful.  With  deep  emotion  the 
apostle  turned  his  face  towards  the  north  and  began 
his  jouruey.  He  went  alone  to  Troas  where  he  ex- 
pected to  meet  Titus.  The  latter  had  been  for  some 
time  at  Corinth,  and  Paul  was  anxious  to  meet  him 
and  hear  from  the  church  there.  In  this  expectation 
he  was  disappointed,  and  how  keenly  he  felt  the  dis- 
appointment is  pathetically  told  in  his  own  words  : 
"  When  I  came  to  Troas  for  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 

173 


174  Paul  the  Apostle 

and  when  a  door  was  opened  to  me  in  the  Lord,  I  had 
no  relief  for  my  spirit  because  I  found  not  Titus  my 
brother  ;  but  takiug  leave  of  them,  I  went  forth  into 
Macedonia"  (2  Cor.  ii.  12,  13).  This  was  the  only 
time  in  Paul's  life  that  he  was  so  overwhelmed  by  a 
feeling  of  despondency  that  he  was  unable  to  enter  an 
open  door  to  preach  the  Gospel.  He  had  looked  for- 
ward to  the  presence  of  Titus  to  cheer  him  in  his 
gloom,  and  failing  to  meet  him  at  Troas,  he  went  on 
alone,  hoping  to  meet  him  somewhere  in  northern 
Macedonia.  This  hope  was  realized.  The  two 
friends  met.  Titus  brought  good  news  from  the 
church  in  Corinth,  and  this  raised  Paul's  drooping 
spirits  and  put  new  life  and  zeal  into  his  work. 

In  the  Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  written 
soon  after  he  met  with  Titus,  Paul  wrote  :  ' '  l!f ever- 
theless  he  that  comforteth  the  lowly,  even  God,  com- 
forted us  by  the  coming  of  Titus  ;  and  not  by  his 
coming  only,  but  also  by  the  comfort  wherewith  he 
was  comforted  in  you,  while  he  told  us  of  your  long- 
ing, your  mourning,  your  zeal  for  me  ;  so  that  I  re- 
joiced yet  the  more"  (2  Cor.  vii.  6,  7).  His  joy  was 
late  in  comiug,  but  it  was  great  when  it  did  come. 
He  had  not  been  troubled  so  much  on  his  own  ac- 
count as  on  behalf  of  his  children  in  the  Gospel. 

Paul  learned  from  Titus  that  the  epistle  written 
from  Ephesus  had  been  well  received  by  the  church 
in  Corinth,  and  that  many  of  the  sins  he  had  con- 
demned had  been  forsaken.  They  had  withdrawn 
fellowship  from  the  man  guilty  of  incest  (2  Cor. 
ii.  5-11)  ;  they  were  zealous  in  preparing  to  make  an 
offering  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  saints  in  Jerusalem 
(ix.  1,  2).     Titus  furthermore  informed  the  apostle 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    175* 

that  certain  rneu  in  the  church  iu  Coriuth  were  trying 
to  discredit  his  apostolic  authority,  and  had  refused 
to  heed  the  admonition  given  in  the  epistle  (x.  1-11 ; 
xi.  13-15).  For  the  purpose  of  counteracting  the 
influence  of  these  ''ministers  of  Satan,"  to  strengthen 
the  faith  and  increase  the  zeal  of  those  who  remained 
true,  and  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  his  apostolic 
office,  he  wrote  another  epistle  and  sent  it  by  Titus 
and  two  other  brethren  whose  names  are  not  given 
(viii.  16-24).  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  date 
of  the  Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  Paul  had 
recently  come  from  Asia  into  Macedonia  (i.  8  ;  vii.  5)  ; 
he  wrote  from  Macedonia  as 'he  was  about  to  leave  that 
country  to  make  a  visit  to  Coriuth  (ix,  3,  4  ;  xii.  14  ; 
xiii.  1).  This  fixes  the  date  in  the  summer  of  57. 
The  First  Epistle  to  the  same  church  was  written  a 
few  months  earlier,  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year. 

Paul  passed  through  Macedonia  and  came  into 
Greece  where  he  spent  three  mouths  urging  the 
churches  in  Macedonia  and  Achaia  to  make  a  liberal 
contribution  for  the  relief  of  their  suffering  brethren 
in  Jerusalem  (1  Cor.  xvi.  1,  2  ;  2  Cor.  viii.  1-15). 
It  was  not  the  apostle's  wish  to  take  the  money  to 
Jerusalem  himself.  He  wrote,  "Whomsoever  ye 
shall  approve  them  will  I  send  with  letters  to  carry 
your  bounty  unto  Jerusalem  :  and  if  it  be  meet  for  me 
to  go  also,  they  shall  go  with  me  "  (1  Cor.  xvi.  3,  4). 

It  became  expedient  for  Paul  to  go  on  this  mission 
of  mercy  to  his  own  nation,  and  he  went.  As  he 
was  about  to  leave  Corinth  for  Jerusalem  he  wrote  : 
"Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  by  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  that  ye  strive 
together  with  me  in  your  prayers  for  me  ;  that  I  may 


176  Paul  the  Apostle 

be  delivered  from  lliem  that  be  disobedient  in  Judea, 
and  tliat  my  ministration  which  I  have  for  Jerusa- 
lem may  be  acceptable  to  the  saints ;  that  I  may 
come  unto  you  with  joy  through  the  will  of  God  and 
together  we  may  fiud  rest  "  (Eom.  xv.  30-32).  We 
shall  see  that  this  prayer  was  answered.  He  was  de- 
livered from  the  disobedient  in  Judea,  his  offering 
was  acceptable  to  the  saints,  and  he  was  enabled  to 
make  the  long-desired  journey  to  Eome. 

During  the  three  months  spent  in  Corinth,  the 
winter  of  57  and  58,  the  apostle  wrote  two  of  his 
most  important  epistles,  Eomaus  and  Galatiaus ;  and 
the  fact  that  they  were  written  about  the  same  time 
and  under  similar  circumstances  accounts  in  a  large 
measure  for  the  similarity  of  their  contents.  In 
Eomans  the  apostle  states  that  he  was  to  leave  for 
Jerusalem  with  contributions  from  the  churches  in 
Macedonia  and  Achaia  (Eom.  xv.  25,  26).  He  was 
in  the  home  of  Gains  in  Corinth  at  the  time  of  writ- 
ing (Eom.  xvi.  23  ;  1  Cor.  i.  14).  Phoebe  was  a 
member  of  the  church  in  Cenchrea  and  bore  the 
epistle  (Eom.  xvi.  1).  Paul  had  made  a  second 
visit  to  the  province  of  Galatia  (Gal.  iv.  13)  ;  and 
his  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  was  written  soon  after 
this  visit  (Gal.  i.  16).  The  fundamental  teachings 
of  this  epistle  and  that  to  the  Eomans  are  the  same  ; 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  rather  than  by 
the  law  of  Moses  is  the  central  truth  in  both  of  them. 
The  argument  in  both  of  tliem  is  directed  against  the 
Judaizing  teachers  who  claimed  that  one  could  not 
be  saved  without  circumcision  after  the  manner  of 
Moses. 

These  two  epistles  having  been  written  and  dis- 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    177 

patched,  and  the  messengers  from  the  scattered 
churches  having  come  together,  Paul  was  ready  to 
start  on  his  journey  to  Jerusalem  ;  but  at  this  junc- 
ture he  heard  of  a  plot  that  had  been  laid  by  the 
Jews  perhaps  to  waylay  him  and  rob  him  of  the 
money  that  he  was  bearing  to  Jerusalem.  The  Jews 
who  formed  this  plan  of  robbery  were  not  of  the 
better  class.  All  nations  are  infested  more  or  less 
with  robbers. 

It  seems  that  the  plot  was  to  have  been  executed 
somewhere  on  the  road  between  Corinth  and  Cen- 
chrea,  but  the  apostle,  being  made  aware  of  this, 
changed  his  plan  and  avoided  passing  over  that  road. 
Instead  of  taking  ship  at  Cenchrea  as  he  had  intended 
to  do,  he  made  the  much  longer  journey  through 
Macedouia,  retracing  the  route  he  had  followed  in 
coming  into  Greece.  His  party  was  composed  of 
Sopater  of  Berea,  Aristarchus  and  Secundus  of  Thes- 
salouica,  Gaius  of  Derbe,  Timothy  of  Lystra,  Tychi- 
cus  and  Trophimus  of  Asia,  and  Luke  of  Antioch  in 
Syria.  This  journey  was  made  long  before  the  day 
of  bank  drafts,  foreign  exchange,  or  letters  of  credit. 
The  money  was  all  coin,  and  was  usually  carried  in 
belts  worn  around  the  body  beneath  the  outer  cloth- 
ing. One  person  could  not  carry  a  very  large 
amount  of  money  in  this  manner.  It  had  to  be 
kept  concealed  to  avoid  robbery.  The  large  number 
of  men  was  necessary  to  carry  the  money  with  any 
degree  of  safety. 

All  of  them  except  Luke  went  on  before  Paul.  It 
is  known  that  Luke  was  a  physician  and  that  Paul 
was  not  a  strong  man  phvsically.  It  is  highly  prob- 
able that  the  physician  lemained  behind  to  assist  the 


178  Paul  the  Apostle 

apostle  in  caring  for  his  health,  and  to  administer 
medical  treatment  if  necessary.  We  have  reason  to 
believe  that  Luke  and  Paul  met  at  Philippi.  Luke 
had  been  left  there  by  Paul  on  the  first  mission- 
ary tour  of  Macedonia  about  seven  years  before, 
and  there  is  much  probability  for  the  belief  that 
he  had  remained  there  all  these  years.  These  two 
men,  the  medical  missionary  and  the  tent-making 
apostle,  followed  on  and  overtook  the  advance  party 
at  Troas  where  they  were  waiting  for  them.  Paul 
and  Luke  sailed  away  from  Neapolis,  the  port  of 
Philippi,  where  they  with  Silas  and  Timothy  had 
landed  seven  years  before,  and  after  a  voyage  of  five 
days,  reached  Troas  and  joined  their  companions. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  when  Paul  sailed  over 
that  same  route  on  his  first  journey  to  Europe  he 
made  the  trip  in  two  days. 

It  was  at  Troas  that  Paul  had  received  the  vision 
directing  him  to  go  into  Macedonia  with  the  Gospel. 
This  was  his  second  visit  since  that  memorable  night. 
On  the  visit  preceding  this,  a  great  door  was  opened 
to  him,  but  he  was  too  much  dejected  by  his  recent 
experience  in  Ephesus  to  enter  it,  and  hurried  over 
into  Macedonia  to  meet  Titus,  leaving  the  door  open 
(2  Cor.  ii.  12,  13).  He  was  now  ready  to  enter  the 
door.  The  seven  brethren  who  had  gone  before  him 
had  been  there  several  days,  and  the  reasonable  suj)- 
position  is  that  they  had  put  in  their  time  preaching 
the  Gospel  of  Christ ;  and  when  Paul  and  Luke 
came,  the  entire  company  spent  seven  days  in  the 
city.  It  was  the  greatest  week  in  the  history  of 
Troas,  already  noted  as  an  historic  place.  The  last 
day  of  the  seven  was  the  first  day  of  the  week,  or  the 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    179 

Lord's  day.  The  early  disciples  observed  the  Lord's 
Supper  ou  the  first  day  of  the  week.  The  disciples 
iu  Troas  observey  this  universal  custom  of  the 
church.  Paul  aud  his  compauions  were  present  at 
the  Supper  iu  memory  of  the  Master,  aud  the  apostle 
preached  to  the  congregation  assembled ;  aud  as  he 
expected  to  leave  them  ou  the  morrow  with  little 
prospects  of  ever  seeiug  them  again  iu  the  flesh,  he 
was  exceedingly  earnest  and  tender  in  his  speaking. 
The  solemnity  of  the  occasion  caused  him  to  be  in- 
tensely interested  in  his  theme,  aud  so  profoundly  in- 
teresting to  his  hearers,  that  he  continued  his  speech 
till  midnight. 

The  meeting  place  was  in  the  third  story  of  a 
building,  and  at  midnight  a  youug  man  named  Euty- 
chus,  who  was  sitting  iu  a  window,  became  overcome 
with  sleep,  and  fell  backward  to  the  ground  outside 
of  the  building  and  was  taken  up  dead.  This  tragic 
event  caused  a  recess  iu  the  service.  Paul  ceased 
speaking  long  enough  to  go  down  to  the  dead  man 
and  restore  him  to  life.  The  service  for  which  the 
meeting  was  held  had  not  taken  place  at  the  time 
of  the  death  of  Eiitychus.  The  Lord's  Supper  had 
not  been  observed.  After  the  young  man  had  been 
restored  to  life,  the  disciples  once  more  climbed  to  the 
third  story  aud  the  memorial  feast  was  spread.  After 
the  Supper,  Paul  resumed  his  discourse  and  continued 
till  morning  dawned  ;  then,  bidding  farewell  to  his 
brethren,  he  continued  his  journey  to  Jerusalem. 

All  the  party  except  Paul  went  on  board  the  ship 
aud  sailed  away.  The  apostle,  preferring  to  walk 
across  the  isthmus  to  Assos,  was  left  behind.  Troas 
is  ou  the  northern  side  of  a  peninsula  and  Assos  on 


l8o  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  southern  side.  The  distance  around  by  water  is 
at  least  forty  miles,  bat  it  is  only  about  twenty  miles 
across  the  isthmus.  This  gave  Paul  ample  time  to 
walk  the  distance  while  the  ship  sailed  around  Cape 
Lectum,the  point  of  the  peninsula.  It  is  strange  that 
Paul,  who  had  spent  a  sleepless  night  in  Troas  and 
was  weary  with  hard  work,  preferred  this  lonely  and 
laborious  walk  twenty  miles  through  a  strange  coun- 
try, to  resting  at  ease  in  the  ship  with  his  compan- 
ions. The  wonder  grows  when  we  call  to  mind  the 
fact  that  the  apostle  was  at  least  fifty-five  years  of 
age,  and  by  no  means  a  strong  man. 

There  must  have  been  some  reason  for  this  prefer- 
ence. He  had  left  many  friends  behind  him  and  he 
knew  that  there  was  trouble  ahead.  He  was  not  cer- 
tain that  the  offering  that  he  was  taking  to  Jerusalem 
would  be  accepted  by  the  saints,  and  this  uneasiness 
bore  heavily  upon  his  mind.  He  had  been  assured 
repeatedly  that  bonds  and  afflictions  awaited  him. 
He  was  so  weighed  down  with  burdens  and  oppressed 
with  gloomy  forebodings  that  he  longed  for  solitude 
that  his  tears  might  flow  freely  and  unobserved,  and 
that  nothing  might  disturb  his  communion  with  the 
Father.  He  could  not  even  enjoy  the  presence  of  his 
friends  who  deeply  sympathized  with  him,  and  who 
were  anxious  to  share  his  sufferings.  This  sad  and 
downcast  man  taking  this  lonely  walk  of  several 
hours,  through  an  uukuowu  country,  forms  a  picture 
in  the  mind  not  easily  forgotten.  With  all  his  great- 
ness and  goodness,  the  apostle  was  a  man  and  needed 
to  be  alone  with  God.  There  could  not  have  been 
much  difference  between  the  time  that  Paul  reached 
Assos  and  the  arrival  of  the  ship.     He  rejoined  his 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    l8l 

companions  at  the  appointed  time  and  place  and  the 
ship  continued  on  her  voyage. 

The  vessel  reached  Mitylene  the  next  day.  The 
entire  day  was  spent  sailing  among  the  picturesque 
islands  that  lie  near  the  eastern  shore  of  the  ^Egean 
Sea.  Mitylene  was  situated  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  Island  of  Lesbos.  A  town  bearing  the  same 
name  occupies  the  site  at  the  present  day,  and  is  a 
place  of  some  importance.  They  anchored  the  next 
day  over  against  Chios.  This  is  a  small  island  sepa- 
rated from  the  mainland  by  a  narrow  strait  running 
north  and  south.  In  passing  through  this  strait  the 
ship  was  going  a  due  south  course.  Somewhere  in 
this  narrow  channel  they  passed  the  night  with  the 
ship  riding  at  anchor. 

Early  next  morning  the  sails  were  spread  and  the 
voyage  resumed.  During  the  day  the  ship  passed 
near  Ephesus  without  entering  the  harbour.  No 
doubt  Paul  would  have  been  glad  to  risk  himself  in 
the  city  again,  believing  that  the  anger  that  expelled 
him  a  few  moutlis  before  had  measurably  passed 
away  ;  but  no  lauding  was  made,  and  he  had  no  op- 
portunity to  visit  his  friends.  He  was  only  a  pas- 
senger booked  for  Syria,  and  had  no  control  of  the 
ship's  movements.  The  vessel  was  not  expected  to 
stop  at  Ephesus,  and  Paul  experienced  no  disap- 
pointment. The  next  landing  was  at  Miletus,  and 
between  the  mouth  of  the  harbour  at  Ephesus  and  that 
place,  the  ship  passed  within  sight  of  the  Isle  of  Pat- 
mos,  famous  as  the  scene  of  the  wonderful  visions 
described  in  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Miletus  was  on 
the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  about  thirty  miles  south  of 
Ephesus.     The  distance  by  water  was  slightly  greater. 


i82  Paul  the  Apostle 

A  small  Turkisli  village  called  Melas  now  stands 
near  the  ancient  city. 

Paul  was  very  anxious  to  reach  Jerusalem  in  time 
for  the  observance  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  but  for 
some  reason  not  given  the  ship  lay  in  the  harbour  at 
Miletus  at  least  three  days.  Time  was  precious  to 
Paul  and  his  companions,  but  the  delay  was  unavoid- 
able and  they  had  to  make  the  best  of  it.  As  soon  as 
Paul  learned  the  length  of  time  to  be  spent  in  the 
port,  he  sent  to  Ephesus  for  the  elders  of  the  church 
to  come  to  him  at  Miletus  for  a  conference.  They 
came  at  once.  The  touching  conversation  that  the 
apostle  held  with  the  elders  is  found  in  Acts  xx. 
17-38.  The  address  to  the  elders  is  the  most  tender 
of  all  of  Paul's  speeches.  He  felt  a  deep  interest  in 
the  church  at  Ephesus,  and  gave  these  men  much 
tearful  instruction  as  to  its  future.  The  close  of  the 
Interview  was  especially  pathetic.  They  all  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  together,  after  which  the  elders  one 
by  one  fell  upon  Paul's  neck  and  kissed  him  while 
their  tears  fell  in  showers.  It  was  a  strong  cord  that 
bound  them  together — stronger  than  any  human  tie. 
The  one  thing  that  caused  the  elders  such  deep  sorrow 
was  that  Paul,  in  the  course  of  his  remarks,  had  said 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more.  This  broke 
their  hearts  and  unsealed  the  fountain  of  their  tears. 
Paul  did  go  to  Ephesus  several  years  after  this  inter- 
view ;  but,  at  this  time,  he  never  expected  to  go 
there  again.  The  fact  that  he  did  not  foresee  his 
own  future  does  not  affect  his  inspiration.  Many  in- 
cidents in  his  life  confirm  this. 

When  they  arose  from  prayer  they  saw  indications 
that  the  ship  was  about  ready  to  sail,  and  after  this 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued     183 

touchlDg  leave-takiug,  the  men  from  Ephesus  went 
with  Paul  and  the  others  to  the  vessel.  They  saw 
their  beloved  friend  and  father  in  the  Gospel  go 
aboard,  the  cable  loosed,  and  the  ship  sail  away. 
They  looked  longingly  alter  the  departing  craft  till 
they  saw  it  fade  away  into  the  distant  blue  where  sea 
and  sky  meet;  and  then  with  hearts  subdued  and 
warmed  into  deeper  devotion  to  the  Christ,  they 
solemnly  turned  their  faces  towards  home. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  Paul's  separation  from 
his  friends  would  have  been  sorrowful ;  but  this  being 
what  he  thought  was  his  last  separation  from  them, 
and  his  future  pathway  being  overhung  with  clouds, 
dark  and  angry,  made  the  parting  exceedingly  touch- 
ing and  pathetic.  He  turned  from  his  friends  and 
towards  that  future  so  big  with  mystery  and  antici- 
pated dangers,  and  moved  forward  to  an  unknown 
destiny.  Like  the  Master,  he  set  his  face  steadfastly 
to  go  to  Jerusalem. 

After  leaving  Miletus,  the  ship  kept  close  to  the 
shore  for  a  considerable  distance.  The  graphic  ac- 
count given  by  Luke  informs  us  that  they  came  with 
a  straight  course  unto  Cos.  This  was  their  first  day's 
sail  from  Miletus,  and  the  distance  covered  indicates 
that  conditions  for  sailing  were  good,  Cos  is  an 
island  near  the  southwestern  corner  of  Asia  Minor. 
The  next  day  the  ship  sailed  fifty  miles  to  the  city  of 
Ehodes,  in  the  harbour  of  which  they  passed  the 
night,  with  the  boat  at  anchor.  This  city  was  on  the 
Island  of  Ehodes,  and  was  a  place  of  importance. 
Here  once  stood  the  famous  Colossus,  one  of  the  seven 
wonders  of  the  ancient  world.  It  was  a  human  figure 
made  of  brass,  or  imitation  of  brass,  and  was  one 


184  Paul  the  Apostle 

hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  height.  It  was  a 
statue  of  Apollo.  The  statue  was  shaken  down  by 
an  earthquake  in  the  year  224  B.  c.  The  island  was 
known  for  its  clear  skies  and  healthful  climate. 
There  was  a  popular  saying  that  the  sun  shone  every 
day  in  Ehodes. 

The  next  stop  was  at  Patara.  This  was  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Lycia,  and  was  the  port  of  Xanthus  ten  miles 
from  the  seashore.  This  point  being  the  destination 
of  the  ship  in  which  Paul  and  his  companions  had 
made  voyage  from  Neapolis,  it  became  necessary  to 
find  other  means  of  completing  the  journey  to  Syria. 
They  were  fortunate  in  finding  a  vessel  ready  to  sail 
to  Tyre,  one  of  the  principal  ports  on  the  Syrian 
coast.  The  distance  from  Patara  to  Tyre  is  three 
hundred  and  forty  miles.  With  the  favourable  wind 
that  usually  prevails  in  the  Levant  during  the  spring 
season,  this  portion  of  the  voyage  could  have  been 
made  in  two  days  and  nights.  In  following  Paul's 
movements  from  Troas  to  Patara  we  have  been  skirt- 
ing the  coast,  seldom  out  of  sight  of  laud  for  more 
than  a  few  hours  at  a  time  ;  we  have  passed  through 
narrow  channels,  under  the  shadow  of  great  moun- 
tains, and  between  picturesque  islands.  The  scenery 
has  been  entrancing.  We  must  now  leave  the  coast 
and  follow  the  ship  across  the  open  sea. 

The  only  land  seen  on  the  way,  of  sufficient  im- 
portance for  Luke  to  mention,  was  the  Island  of 
Cyprus.  They  passed  within  sight  of  it,  leaving  it  to 
the  left,  the  ship  passing  near  the  southern  shore  of 
the  island.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  Cyprus 
was  the  first  mission  field  entered  by  missionaries 
sent  out  from  Antioch,  and  that  Paul  and  Barnabas 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    185 

were  the  first  missionaries.  As  Paul  stood  upon  the 
deck,  looked  out  over  the  white-capped  waves,  and 
beheld  Cyprus  in  the  distance,  rising  from  the  blue 
surface  of  the  sea,  he  must  have  thought  of  his  early- 
labours  there  and  wondered  if  Barnabas  were  still  in 
the  island,  and,  if  so,  what  success  had  crowned  his 
labours. 

The  voyage  from  Patara  was  made  in  the  silver 
light  of  a  full  moon.  By  referring  to  Acts  xx.  6,  we 
learn  that  Paul  left  Neapolis,  the  port  of  Philippi, 
after  the  days  of  unleavened  bread.  This  means 
that  they  started  seven  days  after  the  full  moon.  To 
this  we  must  add  the  five  days  spent  in  sailing  to 
Troas.  Thus  we  have  twelve  days  ;  and  to  this  period 
must  be  added  the  seven  days  spent  with  the  brethren 
at  Troas,  making  nineteen  days  since  the  full  moon. 
They  spent  four  days  between  Troas  and  Miletus,  and 
from  the  latter  place  they  sailed  to  Patara  in  three 
days  (Acts  xx.  13-15;  xxi.  1).  This  makes  twenty- 
six  days.  They  must  have  spent  at  least  three  days 
in  Miletus.  Paul  had  time  to  send  thirty  miles  to 
Ephesus  for  the  elders  and  they  had  time  to  come  to 
him  for  a  conference.  This  would  make  twenty-nine 
days  since  the  last  full  moon,  and  bring  the  full  moon 
again.  Out  in  the  deep  open  sea  they  could  sail  day 
and  night,  thus  avoiding  the  delay  of  anchoring  each 
night,  as  they  had  been  compelled  to  do  during  the 
moonless  nights,  when  sailing  among  the  islands 
along  the  western  and  southwestern  coasts  of  Asia 
Minor. 

The  vessel  landed  at  Tyre,  a  well-known  com- 
mercial city  in  Phoenicia.  It  is  often  mentioned  in 
the  Bible,   and  fills  a  prominent  place  in  profane 


l86  Paul  the  Apostle 

history.  At  the  present  time  it  is  a  city  of  consider- 
able importance.  Paul  probably  enquired  if  there 
were  any  Christians  in  the  city,  and  having  learned 
that  there  was  a  congregation,  he  found  it  and  spent 
seven  days  with  the  brethren.  There  was  now  no 
reason  for  haste  in  his  journey.  He  saw  that  he 
would  reach  Jerusalem  in  time  for  the  Pentecost, 
and  the  rest  of  the  journey  was  leisurely  made.  He 
was  a  stranger  to  the  brethren  in  Tyre,  having  never 
been  in  that  city  since  the  cause  of  Christ  was  planted 
there.  The  men  who  were  with  him  were  likewise 
strangers.  The  week  spent  by  Paul  and  his  company  in 
Tyre  was  the  greatest  week  in  the  history  of  the  church 
in  that  city.  For  such  a  company  of  men,  led  by  such  a 
man  as  Paul,  to  spend  a  week  with  a  mission  church 
in  a  heathen  city  meant  much  to  the  permanency  of 
the  cause  and  the  prosperity  of  the  congregation. 

The  brethren  of  Tyre  all  knew  Paul  by  reputation, 
and  were  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  become  person- 
ally acquainted  with  him.  They  learned  from  him 
that  he  and  his  companions  were  on  their  way  to 
Jerusalem,  and  knowing  something  of  the  personal 
danger  that  would  attend  the  visit,  begged  him  to 
change  his  purpose  and  not  set  foot  in  the  city.  He 
could  have  sent  the  money  to  the  poor  by  the  hands 
of  others  and  remained  in  safety  among  his  friends  ; 
but  for  some  reason  not  given,  he  preferred  to  brave 
the  dangers  that  awaited  him  and  go  on  to  Jerusalem, 
risking  the  consequences. 

When  the  seven  days  were  passed,  there  was  en- 
acted another  scene  of  pathos  and  tears.  This  week 
had  served  to  bind  Paul  and  his  party  to  the  brethren 
at  Tyre  with  the  strongest  ties  of  Christian  love. 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    187 

The  partiug  was  heartrending  to  all.  There  is  no 
speech  recorded,  such  as  Paul  made  to  the  elders  who 
came  from  Ephesus  to  meet  him  at  Miletus,  but  the 
unembellished  description  of  the  parting  scene  is  ex- 
tremely touching.  All  the  men  of  the  church,  with 
their  wives  and  children,  followed  Paul  out  of  the 
city  ;  they  kneeled  together  on  the  sands  of  the  beach 
and  prayed,  while  the  rhythmic  waves  of  the  surf 
dashed  against  the  shore.  After  the  prayer  came  the 
final  scene.  Paul  and  his  companions  bade  the 
friends  of  Tyre  an  affectionate  farewell,  which  was 
responded  to  by  them  with  equal  fervour,  and  went 
on  board  the  ship.  The  brethren  of  Tyre  returned 
in  deep  dejection  to  their  homes.  The  influence  of 
this  visit  must  have  been  felt  for  a  long  time  in  the 
church  in  Tyre. 

Setting  sail,  the  ship  stood  out  to  sea  and  turned 
towards  the  south,  skirting  the  eastern  coast  of  the 
Great  Sea.  One  day's  sail  brought  them  to  Ptole- 
mais,  the  modern  Acre.  This  is  an  old  city  ;  it  was 
known  as  Accho  before  the  advent  of  the  Jews 
into  Palestine,  while  it  was  yet  in  the  hands  of  the 
Canaanites.  The  name  of  the  city  was  changed  by 
Ptolemy,  the  founder  of  a  line  of  Greek  kings  in 
Egypt.  The  original  name  was  restored  at  a  later 
date,  and,  with  slight  change,  remains  to  the  present 
day.  Paul  found  Christians  here  as  he  had  done  at 
Tyre  and  spent  a  day  with  them.  Ptolemias  was  on 
the  northern  cape  of  the  Bay  of  Acre.  Haifa,  on  the 
southern  cape  near  where  Mount  Carmel  butts  against 
the  sea,  opposite  the  present  city  of  Acre,  is  a  more 
important  city,  being  one  of  the  few  cities  in  Pales- 
tine with  the  convenience  of  railway  service. 


l88  Paul  the  Apostle 

Thirty-five  miles  to  the  south  from  Ptolemias  is  the 
city  Cfesarea.  This  is  the  place  where  the  Gospel 
was  first  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  Cornelius  and  his 
household  being  the  first  converts.  This  was  the 
next  stopping  place  of  this  party  of  pilgrims.  It  is 
believed  that  they  left  their  ship  at  Ptolemias  aud 
made  the  rest  of  the  journey  by  land.  They  passed 
around  the  Bay  of  Acre  aud  along  the  road  that  runs 
between  the  bold  and  precipitous  front  of  Mount 
Carmel  aud  the  sea,  and  on  down  the  coast  road  to 
CsBsarea. 

It  was  in  this  city  that  Paul  and  his  company  met 
a  man  that  they  had  all  known  by  reputation  for 
many  years,  aud  perhaps  some  of  them  knew  him 
personally.  This  man  was  Philip  the  evangelist, 
"one  of  the  Seven."  This  description  given  by 
Luke  identifies  him  as  the  man  whose  evangelistic 
labours  are  briefly  noted  in  the  eighth  chapter  of 
Acts.  We  learn  from  the  last  verse  of  that  chapter 
that,  after  sending  the  eunuch  on  his  way  rejoicing 
to  his  own  benighted  people,  Philip  preached  in  all 
the  cities  of  the  coast  plain  till  he  came  to  Ctesarea. 
It  is  probable  that  this  city  was  the  place  of  his  resi- 
dence, and  that  his  stay  in  Jerusalem  was  but  tem- 
porary. He  had  a  permanent  home  in  Csesarea,  and 
lived  in  a  house  of  sufficient  capacity  to  enable  him 
to  entertain  Paul  and  his  nine  companions  without 
embarrassment. 

One  fact  in  connection  with  Philip's  home  and 
family  deserves  special  mention  :  he  had  four  unmar- 
ried daughters,  and  all  of  them  were  prophetesses. 
Paul  had,  in  his  writings,  prohibited  certain  women 
in  Corinth  and  Ephesus  to  speak  in  the  open  meet- 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued    189 

ings  of  the  church.  They  were  recent  converts  from 
heathenism,  and,  consequently,  their  knowledge  of 
the  Christian  religion  was  limited  and  imperfect. 
They  had  no  qualifications  for  leadership  ;  but  Philip 
had  reared  his  daughters  in  a  Christian  atmosphere, 
and  from  their  infancy  they  had  been  trained  in  the 
work  and  worship  of  the  church.  They  knew  no 
other  religion  than  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  the  fact 
that  they  were  daughters  instead  of  sons  did  not  dis- 
qualify them  for  religious  service.  They  had  the 
knowledge  of  the  Gospel  and  the  ability  to  impart  it, 
and  these  qualities  gave  them  much  power  for  good. 

Paul  has  said  that  to  proi)hesy,  in  the  New  Testament 
sense  of  the  word,  means  to  speak  unto  men  to  edi- 
fication, exhortation,  and  consolation  (1  Cor.  xiv.  13). 
Thus  we  see  that  the  prophets'  work  was  to  strengthen 
the  weak,  exhort  the  wavering,  and  console  the  sor- 
rowing. Philip's  daughters  did  this,  and  their  in- 
spired father  permitted  them  to  do  so,  and  no  doubt 
encouraged  them  in  it.  He  allowed  his  daughters  to 
do  the  very  thing  that  Paul  refused  to  permit  the 
women  of  Corinth  and  Ephesus  to  do.  The  reason 
for  this  is  seen  in  the  fact  already  mentioned  that 
those  women  who  were  not  given  the  privilege  of 
speaking  in  the  public  meetings  of  the  church  were 
new  converts  from  heathenism.  Paul  made  no  ob- 
jection to  the  public  teaching  done  by  Philip's  daugh- 
ters. He  never  would  have  commanded  any  conse- 
crated and  cultivated  woman  who  knew  what  to  say 
and  how  to  say  it  to  keep  silent  in  the  church. 
This,  however,  is  no  endorsement  of  the  popular 
notion  in  modern  times  that  the  pulpit  and  ministry 
are  as  well  filled  by  women  as  men. 


190  Paul  the  Apostle 

While  Paul  was  visitiDg  in  the  home  of  Philip, 
merely  to  rest  and  resume  his  journey,  he  was  once 
more  warned  against  going  on  to  Jerusalem.  The 
warning  was  given  this  time  by  a  prophet  from 
Judea,  whose  name  was  Agabus.  He  had  predicted 
the  famine  in  Canaan  many  years  before  (Acts 
xi.  28).  That  prediction  was  the  occasion  of  the 
brethren  seudiug  relief  to  the  disciples  in  Judea  by 
the  hands  of  Barnabas  and  Saul.  Now  the  same 
man  comes  into  the  presence  of  Paul,  and,  true  to  the 
symbolism  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  he  de- 
livered his  message  in  a  very  impressive  manner. 
He  took  Paul's  girdle  and  bound  his  own  hands  and 
feet  with  it  and  delivered  his  warning  :  "  Thus  saith 
the  Holy  Spirit,  So  shall  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  bind 
the  man  that  owneth  this  girdle,  and  shall  deliver 
him  into  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles."  This  prediction 
was  too  clear  to  be  misunderstood. 

After  the  company  had  taken  sufficient  time  to 
reflect  on  the  import  of  the  message  of  the  prophet, 
all  present  made  a  strong  effort  to  induce  Paul  to 
change  his  mind  and  not  visit  the  city  ;  but  the  com- 
bined influence  of  his  travelling  companions  and  the 
brethren  in  Caesarea  was  not  sufficient  to  cause  him 
to  make  the  least  change  in  his  plans.  They  even 
wept  over  him,  entreating  him  with  many  tears,  but 
to  no  avail.  His  friends  were  exceedingly  anxious 
for  him  to  escape  from  the  hands  of  his  enemies  in 
Jerusalem.  In  the  reply  of  Paul  to  the  entreaties  of 
his  friends  we  see  heroism  reaching  its  sublimest 
height.  His  words  are  these  :  *'  What  do  ye  weeping 
and  breaking  my  heart  ?  for  I  am  ready  not  to  be 
bound  only  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name 


Third  Missionary  Journey  Continued     191 

of  the  Lord  Jesus."  The  man  had  lost  himself  com- 
pletely in  the  importance  of  his  mission.  When  they 
saw  that  they  had  no  effect  on  him  with  their  plead- 
ings, they  ceased  their  importunities,  and  became 
reconciled  to  anything  that  might  come.  In  their 
sadness,  they  meekly  said,  *'  The  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done." 

Soon  after  the  message  of  Agabus  bad  been  deliv- 
ered, Paul  and  his  company  set  forward  on  their 
journey  to  Jerusalem  and  towards  that  future,  un- 
known and  mysierious  to  them  all.  Some  brethren 
from  Caesarea  accompanied  them,  among  whom  was 
Mnason,  who  had  been  associated  with  the  Chris- 
tians a  long  time,  perhaps  from  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
This  old  man  owned  a  house  in  Jerusalem  in  which 
it  had  been  arranged  for  the  entire  party  to  lodge 
while  in  the  city.  They  were  in  time  for  the  feast, 
having  been  forty-three  days  on  the  way.  They  had 
fifty  days  in  which  to  make  the  trip.  This  gave 
them  time  for  their  short  stay  in  Csesarea,  if  they 
counted  with  the  same  accuracy  that  we  do.  It  is  well 
known,  however,  that  the  Jews  counted  each  fraction 
of  a  day  as  a  whole  day,  and  in  this  way  several  days 
could  have  been  gained  en  route.  The  long  and  tire- 
some journey  was  over  ;  and  Paul,  now  growing  old, 
found  himself  once  more  in  the  Holy  City.  Here  he 
had  spent  his  youth  and  much  of  his  early  manhood  ; 
hither  he  had  come  at  irregular  intervals  during  his 
mature  life  ;  and  now,  after  a  journey  of  almost  two 
months,  he  had  come  on  what  proved  to  be  his  last 
visit  to  the  city. 


xm 

JERUSALEM  AND  G^SAEEA 

UEING  tlie  long  journey  to  Jerusalem,  Paul 
had  been  very  uneasy.  It  was  not  certain 
that  his  Jewish  brethren  would  accept  the 
offering  that  he  and  his  friends  were  bearing  to  them, 
and  this  uncertainty  gave  him  much  concern.  He 
had  earnestly  prayed  that  his  service  might  be  ac- 
cepted, and  that  he  might  be  delivered  from  unbe- 
lievers in  Judea  (Eom.  xv.  31).  Upon  reaching  the 
city  his  mind  was  set  at  rest.  He  met  a  glad  recep- 
tion, and  though  he  said  nothing  about  it,  we  know 
that  the  contribution  was  gratefully  received.  When 
he  had  delivered  the  money  to  the  proper  persons, 
the  purpose  of  his  mission  to  the  city  was  accom- 
plished.    However,  he  did  not  hurry  out  of  the  city. 

The  next  day  he  and  Luke,  and  perhaps  the  entire 
company  that  came  with  him  from  Europe,  called 
upon  James,  who  was  the  recognized  leader  of  the 
Jerusalem  church,  and  were  fortunate  in  finding  all 
the  elders  present.  Probably  some  important  mat- 
ters concerning  the  affairs  of  the  church  were  being 
considered.  Paul  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  to 
tell  James  and  the  elders  about  the  great  work  that 
God  had  done  among  the  Gentiles  through  his  min- 
istry and  that  of  his  fellow- workers  ;  and  all  rejoiced 
together. 

At  this  meeting  James  suggested  to  Paul  the  pro- 
192 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  193 

priety  of  the  latter's  performing  a  work  of  policy  aud 
expedieucy,  in  order  to  prevent  the  anger  of  the  Jews 
rising  against  the  Christians.  Paul,  who  was  willing 
to  become  all  things  to  all  men  when  the  interests  of 
the  cause  of  Christ  demanded  it,  was  quite  willing  to 
comply  with  the  request  of  James.  James  reminded 
Paul  of  the  large  number  of  Jews  who  had  accepted 
Christ,  but  who  still  regarded,  with  reverence,  the 
law  of  Moses.  He  also  told  Paul  that  the  Jewish 
Christians  believed  that  Paul  taught  always  and 
everywhere  doctrines  contrary  to  the  laws  and  cus- 
toms of  the  Jews.  The  suggestion  made  by  James 
was  intended,  when  acted  upon,  to  convince  the  be- 
lieving Jews  that  Paul,  though  an  apostle  of  Christ, 
had  no  objections  to  their  observing  the  ordinances 
of  the  law. 

There  were  four  men  in  the  city  who  were  under 
one  of  the  vows  of  the  Jewish  law,  probably  the 
Nazarite  vow,  which  is  described  in  Numbers  vi.  2-12. 
The  time  of  the  vow  had  about  expired,  and  the 
ceremonial  cleansing  was  to  be  performed.  James 
advised  Paul  to  go  into  the  temple  with  these  men, 
and  pay  the  expenses  incurred  by  all  of  them,  and  go 
through  the  ceremonies  of  purification  with  them. 
There  was  always  some  cost  attached  to  the  temple 
service.  Paul  followed  this  advice.  The  next  day 
he  went  through  the  service  aud  paid  the  entire  cost 
of  the  sacrifices  that  were  made  in  connection  with 
the  purification  of  the  men.  In  doing  this  the  apos- 
tle made  no  compromise  of  conscience.  He  was 
never  opposed  to  the  Jewish  Christians  clinging  to 
the  law,  if  they  so  desired.  His  contention  was  that 
they  were  not  bound  to  keep  the  law ;  and  when  the 


194  Paul  the  Apostie 

Judaizers  from  Jerusalem  came  to  Antiocli  teaching 
that  circumcision  was  necessary  to  salvation,  he  op- 
posed them  boldly  and  with  all  his  power  !  His 
conduct  in  Jerusalem  was  ouly  a  harmless  concession 
to  the  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  Chris- 
tians. Neither  James  nor  Paul  attached  any  im- 
portance to  the  law  ;  but  they  were  willing  that  the 
Jews  who  had  accepted  Christ  should  keep  it  till  a 
fuller  knowledge  should  enable  them  to  see  that  Moses 
had  been  superseded  aslawgiverby  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
and  that  the  sublime  teachings  of  the  Man  of  Galilee 
had  become  the  means  of  divine  rule  among  men. 

It  took  seven  days  to  complete  the  purification, 
though  the  ceremonial  part  of  it  could  have  been 
performed  in  a  few  minutes.  The  time  had  almost 
expired,  when  some  Jews  from  Asia  saw  Paul  in  the 
temple,  raised  an  outcry,  and  had  him  arrested.  The 
charge  brought  against  him  was  that  he  had  taught 
all  men  everywhere  against  the  people,  the  law,  and 
the  temple.  This  charge  was  absolutely  false,  and  is 
plainly  seen  to  be  such  by  Paul's  course  in  the  temple 
in  company  with  the  men  who  had  been  under  the 
vow.  The  weakness  of  the  charge  must  have  been 
apparent  to  those  who  made  it.  They  brought  for- 
ward another.  The  second  accusation  was  that  Paul 
had  defiled  the  temple  by  taking  Gentiles  into  it. 
This  charge  was  also  false,  though  the  Jews  were 
honest  in  believing  it  to  be  true.  They  had  seen  him 
walking  in  the  streets  of  the  city  with  Trophimus,  a 
Gentile  from  Asia,  whose  home  was  in  Ephesus.  The 
Jews  knew  that  Trophimus  h^d  come  to  the  city  with 
Paul's  party,  and  they  supposed  that  Paul  had  taken 
him  into  the  temple. 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  195" 

The  Jews  wlio  led  this  movement  against  Paul  were 
from  Asia.  The  Jews  from  Asia  had  caused  Paul 
much  trouble  before  this  (Acts  xx.  19).  Believing 
that  Trophimus  had  beeu  taken  into  the  temple, 
they  wanted  to  stir  up  the  people  in  the  quickest 
manner  possible,  and  cause  Paul  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemies.  They  laid  hold  on  him  and 
made  the  outcry,  "  Men  of  Israel,  help."  Great  ex- 
citement followed.  Thej'^  forced  Paul  out  of  the 
temple,  shut  the  door,  and  began  to  beat  him  in  the 
temple  court.  His  life  was  in  actual  peril.  Some 
one  saw  that  the  civil  authorities  of  the  city  were 
either  unable  or  unwilling  to  protect  the  apostle,  and 
notified  the  commandant  of  the  military  post  quar- 
tered in  the  Tower  of  Antonia.  The  Jews  were  dis- 
satisfied with  Eouian  rule,  to  which  they  were  sub- 
ject, and,  to  insure  the  peace  of  the  province,  a 
military  post  was  maintained  in  Jerusalem.  The 
commandant,  hearing  of  this,  disturbance  iu  the 
court  of  the  temj)le,  ordered  out  a  sufficient  number 
of  soldiers,  and,  with  himself  at  their  head,  marched 
down  to  the  scene  of  the  trouble.  The  sight  of  the 
soldiers  in  uniform  and  the  commander  wearing  the 
insignia  of  his  authority  caused  the  ruffians  to  cease 
beating  Paul.  The  commander,  called  the  chief  cap- 
tain, thinking  that  Paul  was  a  noted  criminal,  took 
him  out  of  the  hands  of  the  would-be  murderers,  and 
gave  orders  that  he  should  be  bound  with  two 
chains. 

After  securing  the  prisoner  the  chief  captain  tried 
to  find  out  from  the  crowd  who  he  was  and  what  he 
had  done,  but  was  unable  to  obtain  any  reliable  in- 
formation.   Some  cried  one  thing  and  some  another. 


196  Paul  the  Apostle 

Seeing  that  he  could  gain  no  information  from  the 
people,  excited  as  they  were,  he  directed  that  the 
prisoner  be  carried  into  the  castle  and  there  confined 
till  his  case  could  be  investigated.  The  command 
was  obeyed  with  military  promptness.  The  castle  to 
which  he  was  borne  was  the  Tower  of  Antouia. 
When  the  soldiers  came  to  the  stone  stairway  leading 
into  the  tower,  they  lifted  Paul  to  their  shoulders 
and  began  the  ascent.  The  crowd,  filled  with  vio- 
lence, followed  yelling,  "  Away  with  him."  The 
soldiers  worked  with  speed  and  energy  to  save  the 
apostle  out  of  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  literally 
carried  him  to  a  place  of  safety. 

As  he  was  being  borne  up  the  stairway,  Paul  said 
to  the  officer  in  command,  ''May  I  speak  unto  the 
people  ?  "  The  captain  was  surprised  to  hear  Paul 
speak  Greek,  and  asked  if  he  were  not  an  Egyptian 
outlaw  who  had,  at  one  time,  gathered  an  army  of 
four  thousand  murderers  and  led  them  out  into  the 
wilderness.  The  captain  must  have  thought  that  the 
notorious  freebooter  had  ventured  into  the  city,  and 
that  the  popular  indignation  against  him  was  assert- 
ing itself.  He  saw  the  rough  manner  in  which  the 
mob  was  dealing  with  the  apostle,  and  his  conclusion 
was  very  natural.  The  reply  of  Paul  was  such  as  to 
convince  the  captain  that  his  prisoner  was  not  the 
leader  of  a  baud  of  assassins,  but  a  man  of  high  cul- 
ture and  good  breeding.  In  reply  to  the  captain's 
question,  Paul  said  :  ["  I  am  a  Jew,  of  Tarsus  in 
Cilicia,  a  citizen  of  no  mean  city  :  and  I  beseech  thee, 
give  me  leave  to  speak  unto  the  people." 

Upon  receiving  the  desired  permission,  he  stood  on 
the  steps  cut  into  the  solid  rock  and  addressed  the 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  197 

people  who  stood  on  the  level  of  the  temple  court  a 
few  steps  below  him.  A  synopsis  of  this  address  is 
found  in  the  twenty -second  chapter  of  Acts.  It  is  a 
review  of  his  own  life,  and  the  way  he  was  brought  to 
a  knowledge  of  salvation.  The  story  of  his  conversion 
is  told  three  times  in  the  Book  of  Acts.  It  is  told  by 
Luke  as  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  rise  and  progress 
of  the  church.  (Acts  chapter  ix.)  It  is  told  twice 
by  Paul — once  as  he  spoke  from  the  stairway  in 
Jerusalem  to  people  below  (Chapter  xxii.),  and  once  as 
he  stood  in  the  presence  of  King  Agrippa  in  the  city 
of  Caesarea  (Chapter  xxvi. ) .  It  is  not  necessary  to  study 
this  speech  in  detail ;  we  will  notice  a  few  points 
only,  mentioned  here,  but  omitted  by  Luke.  Paul 
tells  us  here  that  it  was  about  noon  when  he  received 
the  vision,  that  his  companions  heard  the  voice,  but 
not  being  familiar  with  the  Hebrew  language,  they 
did  not  understand  the  words  that  were  spoken,  and 
that  the  command  to  go  to  Damascus  was  given  in 
response  to  his  question,  "  What  shall  I  do,  Lord  ?  " 
He  fails  to  mention  the  fasting  and  prayer,  and  what 
took  place  at  the  house  of  Ananias  before  he  and 
Ananias  met,  but  he  does  mention  the  high  esteem  in 
which  the  latter  was  held  by  the  Jews  of  the  city. 
He  omits  some  of  the  speech  made  by  Ananias  as 
given  by  Luke.  The  complete  address  of  Ananias  to 
Saul  is  found  by  putting  together  what  Luke  gives  in 
the  ninth  chapter,  and  what  Paul  gives  in  his  speech 
from  the  stairway.  The  reason  for  the  postponement 
of  baptism  on  the  part  of  Saul  was  unknown  to  Ana- 
nias at  the  time,  hence  his  words,  ' '  Why  tarriest  thou  ? 
arise  and  be  baptized  and  wash  away  thy  sins,  calling 
on  his  name."    The  apostle  next  gives  a  brief  account 


198  Paul  the  Apostle 

of  his  call  to  his  work  of  preaching  Christ  to  the  Gen- 
tiles; he  refers  also  to  the  death  of  Stephen,  and  his 
own  part  in  the  tragedy.  He  did  not  finish  his  ad- 
dress ;  when  he  reached  the  point  in  the  narrative, 
describing  the  direction  that  he  received  to  go  to  the 
Gentiles  with  the  Gospel,  the  Jews  who  heard  him, 
and  who  had  been  awed  into  silence  by  the  presence 
of  the  soldiers,  were  thrown  into  a  frenzy  of  excite- 
ment. They  raised  a  loud  shout,  which  made  it  im- 
possible for  Paul  to  continue  his  speech. 

They  could  not  endure  the  thought  that  God  had 
any  kind  of  blessing  for  the  Gentiles.  In  extreme 
rage,  they  vociferously  demanded  his  death,  on  the 
ground  that  any  man  who  would  advocate  so  absurd 
a  thing  as  the  salvation  of  the  Gentiles  was  not  fit  to 
live.  They  expected  a  riot,  threw  off  their  outer 
garments,  and  cast  dust  into  the  air.  Seeing  that 
Paul  could  not  finish  his  address  in  the  midst  of  such 
excitement,  the  captain  had  him  taken  inside  the 
Tower  and  ordered  him  to  be  whipped  till  he  told  why 
the  people  were  so  enraged  against  him. 

When  he  was  being  stripped  of  his  garments  in 
preparation  for  the  cruel  ordeal  of  scourging,  and 
when  his  arms  were  being  bound  with  thongs,  Paul 
took  advantage  of  the  protection  to  which  he  was  en- 
titled by  virtue  of  his  Eoman  citizenship.  He  said 
to  the  centurion  who  commanded  the  soldiers  de- 
tailed to  punish  him  till  he  made  confession,  "Is  it 
lawful  to  scourge  a  man  that  is  a  Roman  and  uncon- 
demned  ?  "  This,  of  course,  stopped  the  preparation. 
The  centurion  hastened  to  Lysias,  the  chief  captain, 
with  the  information  that  the  man  about  to  be 
scourged  was  a  Roman.     That  ofl&cial  was  aware  that 


Jerusalem  and  Ccesarea  199 

to  scourge  such  a  man  before  lie  liad  been  condemned 
would  be  a  violation  of  the  law.  He  went  at  once  to 
the  prison  to  interview  Paul,  in  order  to  be  ceitain 
how  to  proceed.  On  coming  into  his  presence,  the 
chief  captain  asked  the  apostle  if  he  was  a  Roman  and 
received  an  affirmative  answer  ;  the  chief  captain  re- 
plied that  his  own  citizenship  had  been  purchased  at 
a  high  price,  and  Paul  responded  that  he  himself  was 
a  Eoman  born.  Hearing  this,  the  chief  captain  sent 
away  those  who  had  been  ordered  to  perform  the 
scourging,  and  Paul  was  kept  in  j)rison  till  the  next 
day. 

The  Sauhedrin  was  assembled  the  next  morning  by 
order  of  the  chief  captain,  and  Paul  was  to  appear 
before  the  body  to  undergo  an  examining  trial.  When 
this  grave  and  dignified  body  was  duly  opened  and 
ready  for  the  dispatch  of  business,  Paul  was  brought 
down  from  the  Tower  and  presented  to  the  court. 
The  assembly  was  probably  held  in  the  court  of  the 
temple  known  as  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles.  Instead 
of  bringing  formal  charges  against  Paul,  he  was  per- 
mitted to  state  his  own  case. 

Bravely  facing  that  august  body,  he  began  his  de- 
fense by  saying,  ''Brethren,  I  have  lived  before  God 
in  all  good  conscience  unto  this  day."  This  declara- 
tion evidently  means  that  all  his  conduct  in  the  past, 
both  as  a  Jew  and  as  a  Christian,  had  been  conscien- 
tious. He  never  contended  that  he  had  been  in  the 
right  in  all  that  he  had  done  ;  he  was  fully  conscious 
that  his  earlier  life  had  been  wrongly  spent ;  he  did 
claim,  however,  that  he  had  always  done  what  he  be- 
lieved at  the  time  to  be  right ;  his  motives  had  been 
pure  and  his  convictions  honest.     This  assertion  was 


200  Paul  the  Apostle 

more  than  the  high  priest  could  bear  and  not  resent. 
Forgetting  for  the  moment  the  dignity  of  his  exalted 
station,  he  commanded  a  man  who  stood  near  to  smite 
Paul  on  the  mouth.  We  are  not  told  that  the  blow 
was  given,  but  it  is  probable  that  it  was  promptly  de- 
livered. It  was  then  Paul's  time  to  be  indignant. 
How  he  kept  from  smiting  the  man  who  had  ordered 
him  to  be  smitten  is  a  wonder  ;  and,  with  all  his  self- 
control,  he  could  not  keep  from  talking  back  to  the 
Jewish  dignitary.  With  flashing  eyes  and  tone  full 
of  resentment,  the  apostle  said:  ''God  shall  smite 
thee,  thou  whited  wall ;  and  sittest  thou  to  judge  me 
according  to  the  law,  and  commandest  me  to  be  smit- 
ten contrary  to  the  law  ?  "  The  high  priest  was  plainly 
playing  the  hypocrite,  and  Paul  was  brave  enough  to 
tell  him  so.  No  sooner  had  the  apostle  uttered  these 
stinging  words  than  some  one  present  said,  "Eevilest 
thou  God's  high  priest  ?  "  Paul  then  showed  the  true 
manliness  of  his  character  by  saying,  "  I  knew  not, 
brethren,  that  he  was  the  high  priest ;  for  it  is  writ- 
ten, Thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of  thy  peo- 
ple. "  He  did  not  admit  that  the  rebuke  was  unde- 
served. His  language  implies  that  he  would  not  have 
spoken  as  he  did,  had  he  known  that  Ananias  was  the 
high  priest.  His  respect  for  the  office  was  as  great 
as  his  contempt  for  the  time-server  who  filled  it.  It 
was  somewhat  of  an  apology  to  the  assembly,  but  not 
to  the  unscrupulous  man  he  had  rebuked.  This  high 
priest  was  one  of  the  worst  of  men,  and  his  iniquitous 
career  was  ended  by  assassination. 

Paul  was  conscious  of  the  fact  that  his  bitterest 
enemies  were  the  Sadducees,  and  he  had  good  reason 
to  believe  that  they  had  been  the  leaders  in  stirring 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  201 

up  the  present  trouble.  Looking  over  the  assembly, 
be  observed  that  the  larger  number  present  were 
Pharisees,  and  declared  himself  a  Pharisee.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  Pharisees  believed  in  the  resur- 
rection and  the  future  life,  and  that  the  Sadducees 
denied  both  of  these  points  of  belief.  In  declaring 
himself  to  be  a  Pharisee  and  the  son  of  a  Pharisee, 
he  enlisted  the  sympathy  of  the  larger  portion  of  the 
council.  All  that  Paul  meant  by  the  declaration  was 
that  he  agreed  with  the  Pharisees  on  those  points 
whereon  they  and  the  Sadducees  disagreed.  It  was 
known  to  all  present  that  Paul  was  a  Christian. 
When  he  proclaimed  himself  a  Pharisee,  there  came 
a  division  of  sentiment  in  the  assembly.  Division 
grew  to  discussion  ;  discussion  led  to  excitement ; 
excitement  became  clamour.  The  Pharisees  con- 
tended that  there  was  no  fault  in  Paul,  and  that,  if 
he  had  received  any  revelation  from  angel  or  spirit, 
he  should  be  heard  with  respect.  The  excitement 
became  so  intense  that  the  chief  captain,  fearing  that 
Paul  would  actually  lose  his  life  in  the  melee,  ordered 
soldiers  to  go  at  once  to  his  rescue.  They  took  him 
out  of  the  excited  assembly  and  conducted  him  back 
to  the  Tower  from  which  he  had  been  brought  at  the 
opening  of  the  session.  Lysias  had  learned  the  facts 
in  regard  to  Paul's  case,  and  had  found  that  his  ene- 
mies had  made  no  real  charge  against  him. 

Paul  was  very  much  dejected  to  find  himself  once 
more  within  the  gloomy  walls  of  the  prison.  To  him 
it  looked  like  an  impossibility  to  obtain  justice  at 
the  hands  of  his  own  nation.  Weary  in  body  and 
mind,  he  lay  down  to  rest  and  refresh  himself  in 
order  to  have  sufficient  strength  to  meet  new  troubles 


202  Paul  the  Apostle 

on  the  morrow.  He  awoke  with  a  serene  counte- 
nance, and  heart  and  mind  at  ease.  This  was  not  so 
much  the  result  of  the  rest  he  had  obtained  as  of 
what  he  had  experienced  in  his  dreams.  The  Lord 
stood  by  him  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  en- 
couraged him  with  these  words,  "  Be  of  good  cheer  ; 
for  as  thou  hast  testified  of  me  in  Jerusalem,  so  must 
thou  also  bear  witness  of  me  in  Eome."  This  was 
positive  assurance  that,  in  some  way  unknown  as 
yet,  God  would  deliver  him  out  of  the  hands  of  his 
enemies  and  direct  his  course  to  the  city  on  the 
Tiber.  He  had  long  desired  to  visit  Eome,  and  had 
so  expressed  himself  in  his  epistle  to  the  church  in 
that  city  (Eom.  x.  1-13)  ;  but  when  this  desire  was 
to  be  realized,  it  would  be  under  circumstances  quite 
different  from  what  he  had  anticipated. 

Early  in  the  morning  following  the  night  in  which 
Paul  had  received  the  vision,  a  conspiracy  was 
formed  to  assassinate  him.  More  than  forty  men, 
goaded  by  anger  and  desperation,  had  bound  them- 
selves with  a  solemn  oath  that  they  would  neither  eat 
nor  drink  till  they  had  taken  his  life.  To  carry  out 
their  gruesome  design,  they  endeavoured  to  secure 
the  service  of  the  chief  priests  and  elders,  telling 
them  of  the  vow  they  had  made  and  of  the  streugth 
of  the  oath  that  bound  them.  They  made  the  request 
of  the  priests  and  elders  to  have  the  Sauhedrin  called 
together  again,  ostensibly,  to  reconsider  Paul's  case, 
to  have  the  prisoner  brought  to  the  temple  court  as 
though  he  were  to  be  tried,  and  that  they  would  as- 
sassinate him  between  the  Tower  and  the  place  of 
trial.  It  was  a  bold,  daring,  and  well  planned  scheme. 
"We  do  not  know  in  what  spirit  the  chief  priests  re- 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  203 

ceived  the  suggestion,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  they 
approved  it,  though  it  is  possible  that  they  did. 
Most  of  them  had  doubtless  been  guilty  of  crimes  as 
great.  But  whether  they  were  favourable  or  un- 
favourable to  the  plan  does  not  concern  us.  It  was 
never  carried  out. 

In  treating  of  the  childhood  of  Paul  in  his  native 
city,  we  spoke  of  his  sister  and  said  that  she  was 
casually  mentioned  later  in  his  life.  She  probably 
lived  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  Paul's  arrest.  Her 
son,  whose  name  is  not  given,  heard  of  the  plot  to 
murder  his  uncle,  and  with  promptness  commendable 
in  one  of  his  age,  went'  to  the  prison  and  laid  the 
matter  before  Paul.  Upon  receiving  this  informa- 
tion, the  apostle  called  a  centurion  and  requested 
him  to  conduct  the  young  man  to  the  chief  captain. 
The  official  promptly  complied  with  the  request  of 
the  prisoner,  and  the  youth  soon  stood  in  the  presence 
of  the  commanding  officer.  In  presenting  the  young 
man,  the  centurion  said  that  Paul  had  asked  him  to 
do  so,  and  that  the  youth  had  a  message  to  deliver  to 
the  chief  captain  in  person. 

Lysias,  thinking  that  the  information  might  be  of 
a  military  character,  took  the  young  man  aside  pri- 
vately and  asked  him  what  he  had  to  tell.  The 
youth  unfolded  the  whole  plot  to  murder  Paul,  and 
advised  the  captain  to  refuse  to  allow  him  to  be  taken 
from  the  Tower.  This  advice  was  unnecessary.  A 
military  man  is  supposed  to  know  his  duty  in  such  a 
crisis,  and  to  perform  it  with  promjitness.  That  the 
young  man  presumed  to  advise  the  professional 
soldier  as  to  his  duty  can  be  accounted  for  on  the 
grounds  of  youth  and  inexperience.     The  chief  cap- 


204  Paul  the  Apostle 

tain  seemed  to  uuderstaud  the  situation  fully,  and, 
without  a  word  of  reproof,  dismissed  him,  telling  him 
to  keep  the  matter  secret. 

The  chief  captain  is  to  be  commended  for  his  con- 
duct towards  Paul.  He  was  ever  courteous  in  his 
demeanour,  and,  in  many  ways,  showed  himself  to  be 
a  man  of  delicate  taste  and  good  judgment.  He 
knew  that  the  young  man's  life  would  be  endangered 
by  the  mob,  if  it  should  become  known  to  them  that 
he  possessed  their  secret,  and  took  proper  means  to 
protect  him,  by  having  everything  done  with  mili- 
tary secrecy,  Lysias  called  two  centurions  to  him 
and  ordered  them  to  make  ready  a  company  of  four 
hundred  and  seventy  soldiers  to  go  to  Ctesarea,  to 
provide  the  necessary  animals  for  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions, and  to  be  ready  to  start  by  nine  o'clock  that 
night.  CsBsarea  was  the  provincial  capital  and  the 
place  of  residence  of  the  governor.  To  save  Paul's 
life  Lysias  sent  him  away  under  a  strong  military 
guard  that  protected  him  till  he  was  placed  under 
the  ofl&cial  protection  of  Felix,  the  governor. 

Lysias  wrote  a  letter  of  committal  to  Felix  and 
sent  it  by  one  of  the  officers  in  charge  of  Paul  aud 
his  friends.  We  give  the  letter  in  full :  "Claudius 
Lysias  unto  the  most  excellent  governor  Felix,  greet- 
ing :  This  man  was  seized  by  the  Jews  and  was 
about  to  be  slain  by  them,  when  I  came  upon  them 
with  soldiers,  and  rescued  him,  having  learned  that 
he  was  a  Eoman.  And  desiring  to  know  the  cause 
wherefore  they  accused  him,  I  brought  him  down  to 
their  council  :  whom  I  found  to  be  accused  about 
certain  questions  of  their  law,  but  to  have  nothing 
laid  to  his   charge   worthy    of   death  or  of  bonds. 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  205 

And  when  it  was  shown  to  rae  that  there  would  be  a 
plot  against  the  man,  I  sent  him  to  thee  forthwith, 
charging  his  accusers  to  speak  against  him  before 
thee." 

One  point  in  this  letter  is  a  serious  reflection  upon 
the  otherwise  good  character  of  Lysias.  He  tried  to 
make  the  impression  on  the  governor  that  the  reason 
that  he  rescued  Paul  from  the  mob  was  that  he  had 
heard  that  the  apostle  was  a  Eoman.  The  fact  is 
that  he  ran  down  and  took  him  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  ruf&ans,  thinking  that  he  was  an  Egyptian  out- 
law. He  did  not  know  that  Paul  was  a  Eoman  until 
he  was  about  to  have  him  scourged  after  his  arrest. 
Lysias  claimed  more  credi'  than  was  due  him.  He 
evidently  desired  to  retain  the  good  will  of  the  gov- 
ernor, and  this  led  him  to  colour  his  official  report  to 
his  own  credit.  The  statement  that  he  had  ordered 
Paul's  accusers  to  prosecute  him  before  the  governor 
was  virtually  but  not  actually  true,  at  the  time  he 
wrote  the  letter.  The  fact  is  that  Paul  was  slipped 
away  from  the  city  at  night,  without  the  knowledge 
of  his  accusers  ;  but,  in  the  letter,  Lysias  anticipated 
what  he  intended  to  do  on  the  following  morning. 
He  expected  to  tell  Paul's  accusers  that  they  would 
have  to  go  to  the  provincial  capital,  if  they  wished 
to  press  the  case. 

The  centurion  in  charge  of  Paul  performed  his 
duty  in  good  faith.  Early  in  the  morning,  perhaps 
before  the  dawn  of  day,  he  arrived  with  his  charge 
at  Antipatris.  This  town  was  situated  in  the  Plain  of 
Sharon,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  on  its  eastern 
border,  and  about  midway  between  Jerusalem  and 
Caisarea.    The  original  name  of  the  place  was  Caphar- 


2o6  Paul  the  Apostle 

saba,  but  it  had  beeu  rebuilt  by  Herod  the  Great,  and 
named  in  honour  of  his  father,  Antipater.  It  was 
thirty  and  one-half  miles  from  Csesarea.  The  centu- 
rion probably  went  no  further  than  Antipatris,  but 
putting  the  apostle  in  the  hands  of  a  trusted  subor- 
dinate, sent  him  on  to  the  capital,  under  the  guard 
of  two  hundred  men,  returning  to  Jerusalem  himself 
to  report  to  his  superior. 

Upon  arriving  at  Csesarea  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
second  day,  Paul  was  handed  over  to  the  governor, 
and  the  letter  of  committal  presented.  Felix  read 
the  letter,  and  learning  from  it  that  Paul  was  a  Eo- 
man,  asked  him  of  what  province  he  was  ;  and,  being 
iu formed  that  he  was  of  Cilicia,  he  assured  him  that 
his  case  would  be  heard  when  his  accusers  should 
come  down  and  file  charges  against  him.  The  pris- 
oner, in  the  meantime,  was  to  be  kept  in  Herod's 
palace.  The  governor's  mansion  bore  this  name. 
Paul  was  committed  to  the  guard-room.  He  was 
tired  and  sore  from  his  long  ride  on  horseback,  not 
being  accustomed  to  that  mode  of  travel.  The 
night's  rest,  though  within  prison  walls,  was  a  pleas- 
ant experience.  He  had  ridden  continuously  for 
about  eighteen  hours,  and  was  in  condition  to  appre- 
ciate any  kind  of  resting  place,  and  any  kind  of  bed 
upon  which  to  rest. 

Five  days  were  spent  in  waiting  for  the  trial. 
Ananias,  the  high  priest,  came  down  from  Jerusalem, 
bringing  with  him  an  able  lawyer  named  Tertullus. 
This  man  was  an  educated  Eoman,  and  well  skilled 
in  his  profession.  He  came  as  the  paid  attorney  of 
the  high  priest,  and  was  to  conduct  the  prosecution 
against  the  prisoner.     Felix,   the  governor   of  the 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  207 

province,  ^as  liimself  a  man  of  notorious  character. 
In  his  early  life  he  had  been  a  slave  to  Agrippiua, 
the  mother  of  Claudius,  t]ie  emperor.  He  became  a 
favourite  with  the  emperor,  who  gave  him  his  freedom 
and  made  him  the  governor  of  a  proviuce.  His  rise 
in  life  is  commendable,  but  that  is  about  all  there  is 
in  his  life  worthy  of  praise.  He  possibly  possessed 
some  good  traits  which  caused  the  emperor  to  think 
well  of  him.  Shortly  after  he  assumed  the  duties  of 
governor,  he  became  acquainted  with  Drusilla,  the 
wife  of  Aziz,  king  of  Emesa.  The  dominion  of  this 
monarch  was  a  very  small  territory,  between  Pales- 
tine and  the  eastern  desert.  Drusilla  was  a  member 
of  the  notorious  Herod  family,  being  the  oldest  child 
of  Herod  Agrippa,  some  of  whose  deeds  and  whose 
death  are  recorded  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Acts. 
She  was  a  sister  of  Herod  Agrippa  II,  before  whom 
Paul  made  his  memorable  defense  found  in  the 
twenty-sixth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Acts.  Felix  fell 
in  love  with  her,  and  used  the  influence  of  one 
Simon,  a  sorcerer  from  Cyprus,  to  induce  her  to  leave 
her  husband,  and  then  took  her  for  his  own  para- 
mour. She  had  one  son  by  Felix,  Agrippa  byname, 
who  perished  with  her  in  the  eruption  of  Mount 
Vesuvius,  August  25th,  79  A.  D.  Nineteen  years 
later  Felix  incurred  the  ill  will  of  the  emperor,  and 
vanished  iuto  obscurity.  The  time  and  place  of  his 
death  are  not  known,  but  it  is  believed  that  he  met 
his  end  in  Gaul. 

The  court  was  formally  opened  and  the  case  was 
called  for  ti-ial.  The  attorney  for  the  prosecution 
arose,  and,  with  suitable  dignity,  proceeded  to  state 
the  case.     We  think  best  to  give  the  synopsis  of  the 


2o8  Paul  the  Apostle 

opening  speech  as  given  by  Luke  :  but,  before  we  do 
this,  let  us  note  the  wisdom  and  policy  displayed  by 
Tertullus.  He  began  by  complimenting  the  gov- 
ernor, and  paying  a  high  and  flattering  tribute  to  his 
ability  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  exalted  position 
he  occupied.  He  was  very  anxious  to  make  a  favour- 
able impression  on  the  governor.  He  said  :  '*  Seeing 
that  by  thee  we  enjoy  much  peace,  and  that  by  thy 
providence  evils  are  corrected  for  this  nation,  we  ac- 
cept it  always  and  in  all  places,  most  excellent  Felix, 
with  all  thankfulness.  But  that  I  be  not  further 
tedious  unto  thee,  I  entreat  thee  to  hear  us  of  thy 
clemency  a  few  words.  For  we  have  found  this  man 
a  pestilent  fellow,  and  a  mover  of  insurrection  among 
all  the  Jews  throughout  the  world,  and  a  ringleader 
of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes :  moreover,  he  assayed 
to  profane  the  temple  ;  on  whom  we  laid  hold  ;  from 
whom  thou  wilt  be  able,  by  examining  him  thyself,  to 
take  knowledge  of  all  these  things  whereof  we  accuse 
him."  This  was  the  formal  statement  of  the  charges 
against  the  prisoner.  The  Jews  who  were  present, 
all  controlled  by  Ananias,  said  that  these  allegations 
were  true.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  general  charge 
was  that  the  apostle  was  a  ' '  pestilent  fellow. " 
There  were  three  specifications  under  this  charge  s 
stirring  up  the  people  and  endeavouring  to  raise  an 
insurrection,  being  a  ringleader  of  the  Nazarenes, 
and  trying  to  profane  the  temple.  If  any  one  of 
these  three  specifications  could  be  sustained  by  reli- 
able testimony,  the  charge  would  be  made  good. 

Paul  had  no  idea  what  the  charges  against  him 
would  be  till  he  heard  them  read  in  open  court ;  he 
had  no  one  to  testify  in  his  interest,  and  no  time  to 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  209 

prepare  au  address  in  his  own  defense.  He  relied 
solely  on  the  promise  of  God  (Luke  xxi.  15)  and 
that  was  sufficient.     The  promise  was  kept. 

Tertullus  had  shown  much  tact  in  his  attempt  to 
win  the  governor  over  to  his  side  of  the  case,  but 
Paul  was  more  than  equal  in  skill  to  the  trained  and 
eloquent  lawyer  pitted  against  him.  We  give  the 
synopsis  of  his  reply :  "  Forasmuch  as  I  know  that 
thou  hast  been  for  many  years  a  judge  unto  this  na- 
tion, I  do  cheerfully  make  my  defense  :  seeing  that 
thou  canst  take  knowledge,  that  it  is  not  more  thaa 
twelve  days  since  I  went  up  to  worship  at  Jerusalem  j 
neither  in  the  temple  did  they  find  me  disputing 
with  any  man,  or  stirring  up  a  crowd,  nor  in  the 
synagogue,  nor  in  the  city.  Neither  can  they  prove 
the  things  whereof  they  now  accuse  me.  But  this  I 
confess  unto  thee,  that  after  the  Way  which  they  call 
a  sect,  so  serve  I  the  God  of  our  fathers,  believing  all 
things  which  are  according  to  the  law,  and  which  are 
written  in  the  prophets  :  having  hope  towards  God 
which  these  also  themselves  look  for,  that  there  shall 
be  a  resurrection  both  of  the  just  and  the  unjust. 
Herein  do  I  exercise  myself  to  have  a  conscience  void 
of  offense  towards  God  and  men  always.  Now,  after 
many  years,  I  come  to  bring  alms  to  my  nation,  and 
offerings :  amidst  which  they  found  me  purified  in 
the  temple,  with  no  crowd  nor  yet  with  tumult :  but 
there  were  certain  Jews  from  Asia  who  ought  to  have 
been  here  before  thee,  and  make  accusation,  if  they 
had  aught  against  me.  Or  else  let  these  men  them- 
selves say  what  wrongdoing  they  found  when  I  stood 
before  the  council,  except  it  be  for  this  one  voice, 
that  I  cried  standing  among  them,     Touching  the 


210  Paul  the  Apostle 

resurrection  of  the  dead,  I  am  called  in  question  be- 
fore you  this  day." 

A  careful  study  of  this  speech  reveals  the  fact  that 
Paul  made  a  complete  answer  to  every  specification. 
He  denied  being  a  sectarian,  but  confessed  that  he 
was  what  they  called  such.  He  declared  his  faith  in 
the  Old  Testament. 

The  case  was  not  decided  at  this  hearing.  Felix 
saw  proper  to  continue  the  case  till  Lysias,  the  chief 
captain,  who  was  an  important  witness,  should  come 
down  from  Jerusalem,  at  which  time  the  apostle 
would  be  given  another  hearing.  He  gave  orders 
that  Paul  should  be  kept  in  prison,  but  should  be  al- 
lowed certain  liberties,  and  that  any  of  his  friends  be 
permitted  to  visit  him  who  should  desire  to  do  so. 

While  they  were  waiting  for  Ananias  to  come 
down,  Felix  and  Drusilla  desired  to  hear  Paul 
concerning  the  Christian  faith,  and  had  him  brought 
into  their  presence  for  that  purpose.  The  fact  that 
Drusilla  was  a  daughter  of  the  Herod  whose  death  is 
recorded  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Acts  has  already 
been  mentioned.  She  was  six  years  old  when  her 
father  died  in  the  year  44,  and  this  incident  occurred 
in  58  ;  she  was,  therefore,  only  twenty  years  of  age  at 
this  time.  She  is  said  to  have  been  a  very  beautiful 
woman.  We  have  already  referred  to  the  fact  that 
Felix  was  once  a  slave,  and  had  become  governor 
through  the  generosity  of  his  foriner  master.  Tacitus 
says  that  Felix  "exercised  the  authority  of  a  king 
with  the  temper  of  a  slave."  In  speaking  to  this 
wicked  pair  concerning  the  faith,  the  apostle  had  a 
wide  field  from  which  to  choose  a  subject.  He  was 
free  to  select  his  own  theme.     He  was  not  on  trial  at 


Jerusalem  and  Caesarea  211 

this  time,  but  was  to  preach  by  the  invitation  of  the 
governor.  Instead  of  selecting  some  prdfound  sub- 
ject of  doctrinal  character,  he  took  aim  at  the  best 
loved  sins  of  his  hearers  and  let  drive  !  Only  a  brief 
outline  of  the  sermon  is  given.  He  discussed  three 
points :  1,  Eighteousness ;  2,  Self-control ;  3,  Judg- 
ment to  come.  This  couple  were  exceedingly  wicked, 
h*^nce  the  exhortation  to  righteousness ;  they  fol- 
lONved  the  promptings  of  their  unholy  passions,  and 
the  exLortation  to  self-control  was  timely  ;  condemna- 
tion at  the  day  of  judgment  is  certain  to  all  who  fol- 
low such  sinful  practices  as  did  the  governor  and  his 
paramour.  Paul  must  have  pictured  the  punishment 
of  sin  in  horrid  colours.  Such  preaching  is  calculated 
to  arouse  the  consciences  of  all  people  who  are  not  too 
far  gone  in  sin  to  be  aroused  by  anything  that  could 
be  said  or  done. 

Felix  trembled  from  head  to  feet  with  fear,  and  or- 
dered Paul  to  go  from  his  presence,  telling  him  that 
at  some  suitable  time  he  would  call  for  him  again. 
This  was  merely  an  excuse  for  the  moment ;  he  had 
no  intention  of  calling  him  again  ;  he  desired  to  hear 
no  more  such  preaching.  Felix  was  afterwards  de- 
posed and  banished.  He  died  in  obscurity,  misery, 
and  sin.  He  was  within  reach  of  salvation  only  one 
time  in  life.  He  rejected  the  opportunity,  and  was 
lost.  As  we  have  already  remarked,  Drusilla  was  a 
member  of  the  notorious  Herod  family,  and  she  was 
probably  too  hard-hearted  to  be  touched  with  the  sub- 
lime message  of  the  Gospel. 

Felix  showed  his  real  character  in  his  further  deal- 
ings with  Paul.  He  kept  him  in  prison  for  two  years, 
hoping  that  a  large  bribe  would  be  paid  by  him  to 


212  Paul  the  Apostle 

secure  his  liberty.  He  sent  for  him  often  but  not  to 
hear  him  preach  ;  he  suggested  many  plans  by  which 
he  hoped  to  secure  a  large  amount  of  money  from  his 
illustrious  prisoner.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  Paul 
would  not  encourage  such  crime.  He  preferred  hon- 
ourable imprisonment  to  fraudulent  liberty.  He  chose 
to  remain  in  prison  with  a  clear  conscience  rather  than 
to  go  free  with  a  guilty  one.  Felix  thought  that  Paul 
had  much  wealth  or  many  wealthy  friends  who  would 
come  to  his  relief  if  he  should  call  upon  them.  He 
remembered  that  the  apostle  had  said  that  his  mission 
to  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  his  arrest  was  to  briug 
alms  to  his  nation ;  and,  not  knowing  the  source 
whence  he  obtained  his  money,  he  naturally  supposed 
that  more  could  be  had  if  necessary.  The  two  years' 
imprisonment  was  only  a  long  and  fruitless  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  corrupt  governor  to  extort  money  for 
his  own  enrichment.  Graft  in  official  life  is  not  a  new 
sin. 

When  Porcius  Festus  succeeded  Felix  as  governor, 
he  found  Paul  still  in  prison.  Festus  assumed  his 
official  duties  in  the  year  60.  The  two  years  spent  in 
prison  in  Cresarea  were  the  most  inactive  years  of 
Paul's  life  ;  he  wrote  no  letters,  and  it  is  not  proba- 
ble that  he  did  any  preaching.  Festus,  on  assuming 
the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  his  high  station, 
made  an  official  visit  to  Jerusalem,  which  was  the 
metropolis  of  the  province,  that  he  might  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  leading  men  among  the  Jews ; 
aud  while  he  was  in  the  city,  some  of  the  prominent 
men  of  the  nation  requested  him  to  send  Paul  back  to 
them  for  trial.  They  had  laid  a  i^lan  to  assassinate 
him  on  the  way,  if  the  governor  should  consent  to 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  213 

gratify  their  desire.  They  kuew  that  Festus  had  not 
been  in  the  province  long  enough  to  know  the  bitter 
feeling  of  the  Jews  against  Paul,  and  hoped  that  he 
would  allow  him  to  be  brought  back  to  Jerusalem. 

Festus  was  wise  enough  to  move  with  caution.  He 
told  the  men  of  Jerusalem  that  Paul  was  still  a  pris- 
oner in  Cajsarea,  and  that  he  himself  would  return  to 
that  city  within  a  few  days.  He  suggested  also  that 
those  who  had  charges  to  make  should  go  with  him 
to  the  provincial  capital,  and  that  the  case  would  be 
heard  there.  This  decision  of  Festus  was  a  sore  dis- 
appointment to  Paul's  enemies  and  a  protection  to  his 
life.  The  governor  remained  in  Jerusalem  for  nearly 
or  quite  two  weeks,  and,  when  he  departed,  several 
of  the  leading  Jews  went  down  to  Csesarea  with  him, 
and  the  case  that  had  been  deferred  for  two  years  was 
called  for  trial.  Festus  acted  promptly.  On  the  day 
following  his  arrival,  he  sat  down  on  the  judgment 
seat  and  ordered  the  prisoner  to  be  presented  before 
him. 

The  Jews,  who  had  come  from  Jerusalem,  made 
many  serious  charges  against  the  apostle,  but  they 
were  all  baseless,  and  were  not  sustained.  In  his 
defense  the  apostle  made  a  speech  very  much  like 
the  one  he  made  in  reply  to  the  charges  made  by 
Tertullus  two  years  before ;  and  this  would  imply 
that  the  same  old  charge  of  being  a  "  pestilent  fellow  " 
was  made  before  Festus.  Paul  declared  that  he  had 
broken  no  law,  Jewish  or  Eoman.  Festus,  having 
so  recently  assumed  the  reins  of  government,  was 
very  anxious  to  give  a  peaceful  and  satisfactory  ad- 
ministration to  the  province,  and  he  knew  that  he 
could  not  accomplish  his  desire  unless  he  had  the 


214  Paul  the  Apostle 

good  will  of  the  Jews.  He  was,  therefore,  willing  to 
show  them  any  favours  he  could  consistent  with  his 
duty  as  an  impartial  ruler.  He  knew  also  that  a 
prisoner  accused  of  crime  had  certain  rights  and 
privileges  that  those  who  administered  the  law  were 
bound  to  respect.  Personally,  he  was  willing  to  try 
the  case  in  Jerusalem,  but  was  not  willing  to  force 
Paul  to  submit  to  such  a  trial  without  his  full  con- 
sent. He,  accordingly,  decided  to  leave  the  matter 
to  the  prisoner  himself,  and  be  governed  in  his  own 
conduct  by  his  decision. 

The  governor  was  ignorant  of  the  plot  to  assassinate 
the  apostle.  He  asked  Paul  if  he  would  go  up  to 
Jerusalem  and  be  tried  before  him  there.  Paul's 
reply  shows  his  idea  of  propriety.  He  said  :  "I  am 
standing  at  Caesar's  judgment  seat  where  I  ought  to 
be  judged ;  to  the  Jews  I  have  done  no  wrong  as 
thou  very  well  knowest.  If  I  am  a  wrong-doer,  or 
have  committed  anything  worthy  of  death,  I  refuse 
not  to  die ;  but,  if  none  of  these  things  are  true, 
whereof  they  accuse  me,  no  man  can  give  me  up 
to  them.  I  appeal  unto  Csesar."  This  is  sublime. 
The  statement  that  he  ought  to  be  judged  at  Caesar's 
judgment  seat  was  his  objection  to  going  to  Jeru- 
salem. By  what  had  come  to  light  at  the  trial, 
Festus  learned  that  Paul  was  innocent,  and  that  the 
Jews  were  persecuting  rather  than  prosecuting  him, 
and  doing  this  through  malice.  He  felt  glad  and 
relieved  when  the  prisoner  claimed  the  right  of  every 
Eoman  citizen  and  appealed  his  case  to  the  Imperial 
Court  at  Eome.  He  readily  acknowledged  Paul's 
right  to  take  the  appeal,  and  told  him  that  it  would 
be  granted. 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  215* 

A  short  time  after  Festus  took  charge  of  the  pro- 
vincial gov^erumeut,  Herod  Agrippa  II,  with  his 
sister  Bernice,  came  to  Ccesarea  to  pay  a  cougratu- 
latory  visit  to  the  new  governor.  He  was  the  only 
sou  of  Herod  Agrippa  I  (Acts  xii.  1,  2).  He  was  a 
youth  of  seventeen  when  his  father  died  in  the  year 
44,  was  regarded  as  too  young  to  succeed  to  the  throne 
of  tlie  entire  kingdom,  and  was  given  the  small  dis- 
trict of  Chalsis,  eiist  of  the  Jordan,  for  his  dominion, 
with  tLie  title  of  king.  He  was  thus  deprived  of  the 
larger  part  of  his  political  inheritance,  but  was  con- 
soled by  being  recognized  as  king,  and  being  per- 
mitted to  exercise  regal  authority  in  a  small  way. 
"When  Festus  came  to  rule  the  province  in  the  year 
60,  Agrippa  was  only  thirty-one  years  old.  His  sis- 
ter Bernice,  like  his  other  sister,  Drusilla,  is  said  to 
have  been  a  very  beautiful  and  attractive  woman ; 
and  however  revolting  it  may  appear  to  us,  her  rela- 
tion to  her  brother  with  whom  she  lived  was  not 
above  suspicion.  In  her  girlhood  she  became  the 
wife  of  her  uncle,  the  former  king  of  Chalsis,  but,  at 
this  time,  she  was  a  widow  and  lived  in  her  brother's 
palace.  Drusilla  was  her  younger  sister.  The  king 
and  his  sister  spent  many  days  with  the  governor, 
who  took  special  pains  to  furnish  them  many  kinds 
of  entertainment ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  no  pains 
were  spared  to  contribute  to  the  pleasure  of  the  royal 
guests. 

We  have  already  said  that  Festus  had  learned  at 
the  trial  of  Paul  that  the  apostle  had  committed  no 
crime  against  the  law  ;  and,  as  the  prisoner  had  ap- 
pealed to  Caesar,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  governor  to  send 
a  statement  of  the  charge  laid  against  him  along  with 


2 1 6  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  appellant.  Festus  was  in  an  embarrassing  posi- 
tion. He  did  not  know  wliat  kind  of  letter  to  write, 
as  he  was  unable  to  say  for  what  cause  the  prisoner 
was  put  on  trial.  He  mentioned  his  embarrassment 
to  Agrippa,  and  said  that  it  seemed  to  him  unreason- 
able to  send  a  prisoner  to  be  tried,  and  not,  at  the 
same  time,  send  a  statement  as  to  the  charges  against 
him.  Agrippa  expressed  the  desire  to  hear  Paul  tell 
his  own  story,  and  Festus  promised  him  that  a  part 
of  the  entertainment  on  the  next  day  would  be  a 
speech  from  the  prisoner.  The  governor  was  very 
anxious  for  the  king  to  hear  Paul  state  his  own  case. 
By  listening  closely  to  what  the  apostle  had  to  say, 
Agrippa  might  be  able  to  detect  some  lawlessness  that 
Festus  had  overlooked,  and  the  two  together  might 
be  able  to  formulate  a  charge  to  be  considered  before 
the  supreme  court  of  the  empire. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  next  day,  Paul  was 
once  more  called  before  Festus.  He  appeared  with 
the  fetters  of  the  felon  upon  his  hands,  to  state  his 
case  in  the  presence  of  both  the  governor  and  the 
king.  This  was  the  first  time,  and,  perhaps,  the 
only  time  that  Paul  ever  preached  the  Gospel  to  a 
king.  Festus  opened  the  proceedings  by  making  a 
formal  speech  to  the  king  and  his  attendants  :  ''King 
Agrippa  and  all  men  who  are  present  with  us.  Ye 
behold  this  man  about  whom  all  the  multitude  of  the 
Jews  made  suit,  both  in  Jerusalem  and  here,  crying 
that  he  ought  not  to  live  any  longer.  But  I  found 
that  he  had  committed  nothing  worthy  of  death  ;  and 
as  he  himself  appealed  to  the  emperor,  I  determined 
to  send  him,  of  whom  I  have  no  certain  thing  to 
write,  uuto  my  Lord.     Wherefore  I  have  brought 


Jerusalem  and  Csesarea  217 

him  before  thee,  King  Agrippa,  that  after  examiua- 
tiou,  I  may  have  somewhat  to  write.  For  it  seemeth 
to  me  uureasouable  in  seudiiig  a  prisoner  aud  not 
withal  to  signify  the  charges  brought  against  him." 

This  speech  of  Festus  shows  his  dense  aud  gross 
ignorance  of  the  Christian  religion,  which  had,  at 
that  time,  spread  over  most  of  the  Eomau  Empire. 
The  Christian  faith  had  penetrated  even  to  the  city 
of  Rome,  and  a  strong  church  existed  there,  the 
church  to  which  Paul's  greatest  epistle  was  written. 
Agrippa  had  better  knowledge.  He  knew  of  the 
rise  aud  j)rogress  of  the  Christian  religion.  It  was 
his  great-grandfather  who  attempted  to  murder  Jesus 
as  an  infant ;  it  was  his  great-uncle  who  had  mur- 
dered John  the  Baptist  ;  it  was  his  father  who  be- 
headed the  apostle  James,  and  who  had  Peter  thrown 
into  prison  expecting  to  j)ut  him  to  jleath  the  next 
day,  and  who  miserably  perished  in  Csesarea  (Acts 
xii.  1,  2).  It  must  have  been  a  mystery  to  the  king 
how  the  governor  should  have  known  so  little  about 
the  Christian  religion,  which  faith  was  so  well  known 
in  the  empire. 

Paul's  speech  before  Agrippa  is  one  of  the  most  elo- 
quent extant.  It  is  frequently  used  by  teachers  of 
oratory  as  an  exercise  by  which  to  drill  their  stu- 
dents. Paul  was  not  by  nature  either  eloquent  or 
graceful ;  he  was  criticized  as  a  man  of  weak  bodily 
presence  and  contemptible  speech  by  some  of  his 
contemporaries,  but  on  this  occasion  he  was  at  his 
best,  and  did  his  best.  Circumstances  were  favour- 
able ;  before  him  sat  the  governor,  aud  near  the  gov- 
ernor sat  the  visiting  king  and  his  royal  sister.  It 
was  a  momentous  occasion.     These  two  royal  audit- 


2i8  Paul  the  Apostle 

ors  wore  members  of  a  family  that,  through  four 
generatious,  had  fought  the  religion  of  Christ  with  all 
possible  zeal.  The  crimes  of  this  family  against 
Christ  aud  His  cause  have  already  been  mentioned. 
This  was  the  second  time  in  life  that  Paul  ever 
spoke  to  members  of  that  family.  Two  years  before 
he  had  spoken  to  Drusilla,  but  to  no  effect.  Now, 
the  apostle  had  the  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  king, 
the  only  male  Herod  who  ever  heard  the  Gospel.  We 
shall  not  quote  the  speech.  All  can  read  it  in  Acts 
xxvi.  It  is  very  probable  that  Luke  heard  the  ad- 
dress. It  was  delivered  just  before  Paul  started  to 
Home  as  a  prisoner,  and  Luke  was  with  him  on  the 
voyage.  It  was  a  personal  experience,  an  autobiog- 
raphy epitomized.  He  told  of  his  career  as  a  perse- 
cutor of  the  church,  of  his  vision  and  call  to  the 
apostleship,  and  of  his  career  as  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  was  in  substance  the  same  story  that  we 
have  studied  twice  heretofore  as  we  have  read  the 
record  of  his  life  and  deeds. 

Jesus  did  not  appear  to  Paul,  primarily,  to  convert 
him.  (See  Acts  xxvi.  16-18. )  That  could  have  been 
done  without  a  vision.  Lydia,  the  jailer  of  Philippi 
and  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  were  all  converted,  yet 
they  saw  no  vision.  All  must  become  Christians  in 
the  same  way  ;  they  must  hear  the  truth,  believe  the 
truth,  aud  obey  the  truth,  and  in  this  there  is  no  place 
for  a  miracle.  In  Paul's  case,  there  was  more  than  a 
conversion  ;  he  was  called  to  the  apostleship.  The 
one  supreme  fact  that  Paul  was  to  make  known  to 
the  world  was  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and,  in 
order  for  him  to  do  this,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
know  beyond  doubt  the  certainty  of  that  fact ;  and 


Jerusalem  and  Ccesarea  219 

the  only  way  that  he  could  possess  such  knowledge 
was  to  see  Him  and  hear  Him  after  He  had  been 
raised  from  the  dead. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address,  the  king,  Bernice 
and  the  governor  quietly  left  the  room,  with  Paul 
still  standing  on  the  floor.  When  out  of  hearing, 
they  freely  expressed  themselves  in  regard  to  the 
apostle,  and  their  opinion  was  that  he  had  done 
nothing  worthy  of  death  or  imprisonment.  Agrippa 
said  that  the  prisoner  might  have  been  acquitted 
before  this,  had  he  not  appealed  to  the  Imperial 
Court.  It  is  not  probable  that  he  knew  how  hard  it 
was  for  Paul  to  secure  a  fair  trial  in  the  courts  of  the 
province.  Jewish  influence  was  too  strong  there  for 
the  apostle  to  get  justice. 

Neither  the  king  nor  the  governor  could  detect  any 
crime  in  Paul,  and  Festus  was  forced  to  do  what  he 
tried  to  avoid.  He  sent  Paul  to  be  tried,  and  sent  no 
charge  against  him. 


xrv 

FROM  C^SAEEA  TO  THE  END 

IT  was  not  long  after  Paul  appealed  his  case  to 
Csesar  till  lie  began  his  long-desired  journey  to 
Eome.  For  many  years  he  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  making  this  journey,  and  now  this  hope  was 
to  be  realized.  Festus  delivered  him  and  some  other 
prisoners,  who  were  to  be  arraigned  before  the  same 
court,  into  the  hands  of  a  centurion  whose  name 
was  Julius.  Two  of  Paul's  dearest  and  most  trusted 
friends  had  the  pleasure  of  making  this  journey  with 
him  :  one  of  these  men  was  Luke,  whom  the  apostle 
called  the  "beloved  physician,"  and  the  other  was 
Aristarchus,  one  of  the  two  men  for  whom  Paul  was 
willing  to  risk  his  life  in  the  theatre  at  Ephesus. 
Paul  had  languished  in  prison  for  two  years,  and  his 
body,  naturally  frail,  had  grown  weaker  and  more 
subject  to  ailments  of  different  kinds  by  reason  of 
his  long  confinement.  The  presence  of  the  skillful 
physician  as  his  companion  in  travel  was  a  blessing 
highly  esteemed.  We  have  no  information  as  to 
where  Luke  and  Aristarchus  spent  the  two  years  that 
Paul  spent  in  prison  ;  but,  as  they  were  both  with 
him  when  he  visited  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  his  ar- 
rest, and  both  made  the  journey  with  him  from 
Csesarea  to  Rome,  we  can  reasonably  infer  that  they 
were  not  very  far  from  him  during  the  period  of  im- 
prisonment.    They  must  have  remained  near  enough 

220 


From  CiEsarea  to  the  End  221 

to  assist  him  iu  auy  way  that  he  might  need  their 
services. 

Julius,  iuto  whose  hands  the  prisoners  were  in- 
trusted, was  a  mau  of  kiudly  heart  aud  obliging  dis- 
position. The  voyage  was  begun  in  the  autumn,  a 
stormy  time  for  seafaring.  In  those  days  travelling 
was  necessarily  slow  aud  uncertain.  The  traveller 
had  to  depend  upon  the  movements  of  the  ships  of 
the  day,  and  these  were  very  irregular  as  to  the  time 
of  arrival  aud  departure.  There  was  no  vessel  to  be 
found  going  from  the  Syrian  coast  to  Italy,  but  the 
centurion  thought  best  to  take  passage  on  the  first 
one  going  in  that  direction,  go  as  far  as  he  could  on 
it,  aud  then  make  the  best  possible  arrangements  to 
complete  the  journey.  He,  accordingly,  embarked 
with  his  prisoners  on  a  ship  bound  for  Adramyttium, 
on  the  western  coast  of  Asia  Minor.  Perhaps  Julius 
thought  that  he  would  probably  find  a  vessel  in  some 
port  along  the  south  or  west  coast,  and  thus  be  able 
to  continue  the  voyage. 

The  first  day  out  was  favourable  and  they  made 
good  time.  The  vessel  arrived  in  Sidon  the  next 
day,  having  run  [sixty-seven  miles.  At  this  place 
the  centurion  gave  Paul  permission  to  go  ashore  and 
refresh  himself  among  his  friends.  These  friends 
were  probably  unknown  to  Paul  in  person.  There 
is  no  record  that  he  was  ever  in  Sidon  before  this. 
They  all  knew  him  by  reputation,  and  perhaps  a  few 
brethren  there  had  met  him  elsewhere.  There  was 
some  special  reason  why  Paul  needed  rest  and  re- 
freshment after  only  one  day's  sailing.  He  was 
naturally  weak  from  his  long  period  of  confinement ; 
it  has  also  been  surmised  with  much  plausibility  that 


222  Paul  the  Apostle 

he  suffered  from  seasickness,  and  that  the  humane 
centurion  gave  liim  an  opportunity  to  recover  from 
the  attack. 

The  length  of  time  spent  in  Sidon  is  not  stated  ; 
but  when  they  put  to  sea  again,  they  continued  their 
northward  course  till  they  passed  the  Island  of 
Cyprus,  when  they  turned  westward,  leaving  that 
island  to  the  south.  There  is  at  the  present  day  a 
strong  current  running  towards  the  west,  between 
Cyprus  and  the  mainland  of  Cilicia  towards  the 
north  ;  and  if  this  same  current  ran  there  at  that 
time,  the  accurate  nautical  knowledge  of  the  ship- 
master is  seen  by  his  choice  of  that  route.  The 
natural  flow  of  the  water  facilitated  the  progress  of 
the  ship.  No  landing  was  made  till  they  reached  the 
city  of  Myra  on  the  coast  of  the  province  of  Lycia. 
At  this  place  the  centurion  found  a  ship  from  Alex- 
andria, in  Egypt,  loaded  with  grain  and  bound  for 
Italy.  The  entire  company  under  the  command  of 
Julius,  soldiers,  prisoners,  Luke  and  Aristarchus, 
were  transferred  from  the  ship  bound  for  Adramyt- 
tium  to  that  of  Alexandria,  en  route  to  Italy. 

This  appeared  to  be  a  stroke  of  good  fortune,  but 
we  shall  see  that  it  proved  to  be  otherwise.  The 
autumn  storms  began  to  sweep  the  sea,  and  naviga- 
tion became  difficult  and  dangerous.  The  gale  ap- 
pears to  have  been  from  the  west,  and  raging  with 
such  fury  that  many  days  were  spent  in  going  from 
Myra  to  Cuidus,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles.  Had  the  weather  been  propitious,  a  day  and 
night  would  have  been  ample  time  for  the  voyage. 
Finding  it  impossible  to  advance  beyond  Cnidus,  the 
master  of  the  ship  turned  her  prow  to  the  southwest, 


From  Caesarea  to  the  End  223 

and  held  iu  that  direction  till  they  passed  the  eastern 
end  of  the  Island  of  Crete,  when  once  more  the  ship 
was  turned  towards  the  west,  keeping  close  to  the  south- 
ern shore  of  the  island.  They  coasted  along  for  some 
time,  protected  from  the  storm  by  the  island.  This 
slight  protection,  however,  was  not  sufficient  to  re- 
move the  danger.  The  progress  of  the  ship  was 
slow,  and  the  peril  of  all  on  board  was  great.  With 
much  labour  and  anxiety  they  arrived  at  a  place 
called  Fair  Havens. 

They  had  spent  more  time  on  the  voyage  thus  far 
than  they  had  anticipated.  Time  was  now  precious 
and  pressing.  Paul,  though  a  prisoner,  volunteered 
to  offer  the  captain  some  advice.  The  apostle  had 
been  much  on  the  sea ;  he  had  been  in  many  storms 
and  shipwrecks,  and  had  spent  a  day  and  night 
struggling  in  the  surging  waters,  clinging  to  bits  of 
wreckage  and  driftwood.  In  some  way  unknown  to 
us,  he  had  been  rescued  after  this  bitter  experience. 
The  only  information  we  have  of  this  episode  in  his 
eventful  life  we  obtain  from  a  modest  reference  iu 
his  own  writing  (2  Cor.  xi.  25).  Paul  advised  the 
captain  to  spend  the  winter  in  the  port  of  Fair 
Havens.  The  captain  would  not  listen  to  this  ad- 
vice, but  had  reason  to  regret  afterwards  that  he  did 
not.  Fair  Havens  was  not  a  desirable  place  to  spend 
the  winter,  and  this  was  the  ostensible  reason  that  the 
captain  did  not  take  Paul's  advice.  The  majority  of 
the  crew  and  passengers  agreed  with  the  captain  that 
they  push  on  to  the  harbour  of  Phcenix  and  there 
spend  the  winter.  This  port  was  thirty-four  miles 
from  Fair  Havens,  and  to  reach  it  they  would  have 
to  pass  Cape  Matala.     The  wind  changed  to  the  south, 


224  ^^"^  ^^^  Apostle 

and  they  weighed  anchor.  They  had  but  fairly 
started  till  a  more  severe  storm  than  any  they  had 
yet  encountered  swooped  down  upon  them  from  the 
mountains  of  Crete,  and  put  them  in  still  greater 
peril.  The  ship  was  caught  in  the  gale.  It  was  im- 
possible to  steer  or  control  the  vessel,  and  they  had 
to  let  her  scud  before  the  blast. 

After  running  twenty-three  miles  before  the  gale, 
they  came  to  the  small  island  of  Clauda,  and  took 
shelter  under  its  lee.  With  this  small  protection 
they  succeeded  in  lifting  the  ship's  life-boat  to  the 
deck.  It  had  probably  been  allowed  to  drag  behind 
the  ship,  and  the  cai)tain,  knowing  that  he  was 
likely  to  need  it  any  hour,  took  pains  to  hoist  it  to 
the  deck,  and  thus  save  it  from  being  crushed  against 
the  sides  of  the  ship  and  destroyed.  After  they  had, 
with  much  difficulty,  secured  the  boat,  they  took  the 
further  precaution  to  undergird  the  ship.  This  was 
done  by  passing  strong  cables  under  the  bow  and 
drawing  them  back  more  towards  the  center,  and 
tightening  them  around  the  hull.  The  timbers  were 
already  strained  almost  to  parting,  and  the  cables 
were  intended  to  reenforce  them. 

On  the  northern  coast  of  Africa,  far  to  the  south- 
west, were  the  quicksands  known  to  the  mariners  as 
the  Syrtis  ;  and,  fearing  that  the  ship  would  be 
driven  into  this  by  the  long  continued  and  furious 
hurricane,  they  took  down  all  sails  that  were  left, 
aud  once  more  drifted  helplessly  upon  the  tumbling 
billows  of  the  main.  After  battling  all  night  with 
the  wind  and  waves,  as  the  dawning  light  appeared, 
they  began  to  lighten  the  load  of  the  ship  by  throw- 
ing the  cargo  overboard,  and  on  the  third  day  they 


From  Csesarea  to  the  End  225 

cast  out  all  the  tackling  and  appliances  of  the  vessel 
that  were  not  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  her  afloat. 
The  storm  continued  to  rage  around  the  apparently 
doomed  ship  for  many  weary  and  anxious  days; 
neither  sun,  moon  nor  stars  appeared,  and  all  hope 
was  abandoned.  The  tempest  grew  in  severity,  and 
terror  seized  upon  the  captain  and  the  crew. 

All  had  been  a  long  time  without  food.  The 
great  danger  that  surrounded  them,  and  the  intense 
mental  strain  to  which  they  were  subjected,  had  ban- 
ished all  desire  for  food.  In  the  midst  of  all  this 
dejection  and  terror,  Paul  stood  forth  before  the 
excited  throng  and  endeavoured  to  calm  their  fears 
by  that  same  power  of  personality  that  restored  quiet 
to  the  Lystrian  mob  many  years  before.  He  re- 
minded the  captain  and  the  crew  that  they  had  made 
a  great  blunder  in  sailing  away  from  Crete  contrary  to 
his  advice  to  spend  the  winter  in  the  harbour  of  Pair 
Havens.  He  had  no  censure  for  them,  but  attributed 
the  loss  that  would  come  to  the  owners  of  the  ship  to 
the  fact  that  the  captain  had  not  taken  his  advice. 
He  had  something  more  to  say,  and  had  reason  to 
believe  that  they  would  receive  it  gladly.  He 
assured  them  that  no  life  would  be  lost,  but  that  the 
ship  was  destined  to  go  to  pieces.  It  had  been 
revealed  to  him  in  a  vision  during  the  night  that  the 
ship  would  be  dashed  against  a  certain  island  and 
destroyed,  but  that  all  would  escape  with  their  lives. 
This  announcement  relieved  the  dejection  of  all  on 
board.  We  cannot  think  of  this  perilous  adventure 
on  the  stormy  sea  and  not  recall  the  vivid  descrip- 
tion of  such  a  scene  furnished  us  by  the  poet  of  Israel : 
"They  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  they  that  do 


226  Paul  the  Apostle 

business  in  the  great  waters ;  these  see  the  works  of 
Jehovah  and  his  wonders  in  the  deep.  For  he  com- 
mandeth  and  raiseth  the  stormy  wind,  which  lifteth 
up  the  waves  thereof.  They  mount  up  to  the 
heavens,  they  go  down  again  to  the  depths:  their 
soul  melteth  away  because  of  trouble.  They  reel  to 
and  fro  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man,  and  they 
are  at  their  wits'  end.  Then  they  cry  unto  Jehovah 
in  their  trouble,  and  he  briugeth  them  out  of  their 
distresses.  He  maketh  the  storm  a  calm,  so  that  the 
waves  thereof  are  still"  (Psalm  cvii.  23-29).  The 
ship  on  which  Paul  and  his  fellow-travellers  sailed 
was  doomed  to  loss,  but  God  had  promised  Paul  to 
save  the  passengers  and  crew. 

The  storm  continued  to  rage  with  unabated  fierce- 
ness for  more  than  fourteen  days,  and  the  ship  was 
helplessly  tossed  about  in  the  angry  sea.  About 
midnight,  on  the  fourteenth  day  after  leaving  Clauda, 
a  sound  was  heard,  which  the  skilled  seamen  recog- 
nized as  the  roar  of  the  surf  beating  against  the  shore 
not  far  away.  This  sound  caused  fresh  fear  to  take 
possession  of  the  sailors.  They  dropped  the  lead  to 
sound  the  depth  of  the  water,  and  found  it  to  be  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet ;  a  few  minutes  later  they 
made  another  sounding  and  found  that  the  depth  had 
diminished  to  ninety  feet.  This  indicated  that  they 
were  fast  approaching  land.  The  night  was  in- 
tensely dark,  and  they  did  not  want  to  drift  any  nearer 
to  the  unknown  shore  lest  they  should  be  wrecked 
against  the  beach.  They  cast  four  anchors  out  of  the 
stern  of  the  ship,  and  wished  for  day.  While  thus 
waiting  in  suspense  for  the  coming  dawn,  the  sailors 
attempted    to    make    their    escape  in  the  life-boat. 


From  Csesarea  to  the  End  227 

They  had  already  lowered  the  boat  to  the  water  and 
were  about  to  embark.  Paul  saw  them,  and  reported 
to  the  centurion,  who  stood  near,  and  said  that  if 
they  went  away  all  would  be  lost.  We  have  seen 
that  this  man  had  been  very  considerate  of  Paul 
throughout  the  voyage  thus  far,  and  when  the  apostle 
told  him  that  unless  the  sailors  remained  in  the  ship 
all  would  be  lost,  he  assumed  authority,  and  without 
asking  permission  from  the  captain  of  the  ship, 
ordered  some  soldiers  to  cut  the  ropes.  The  order 
was  obeyed  with  promptness,  and  the  boat  drifted 
away  in  the  darkness. 

About  daybreak,  Paul,  who  alone  had  remained 
tranquil  throughout  the  entire  storm,  advised  all  on 
board  to  take  some  food.  They  had  fasted  fourteen 
days,  and  consequently  were  weak  and  emaciated. 
Food  had  now  become  an  actual  necessity  ;  and  to 
encourage  them  to  eat,  Paul  took  bread,  and  after 
thanking  God  for  it,  began  to  eat.  This  act  encour- 
aged the  others,  and  they  all  took  food  and  were  re- 
freshed. Paul  assured  them  that  all  would  be  saved. 
After  eating  they  lightened  the  ship  further  by  throw- 
ing the  last  of  the  freight  into  the  sea. 

When  day  dawned,  they  found  themselves  anchored 
near  the  shore  of  an  unknown  island.  The  storm  had 
blown  them  so  far  out  of  their  course  as  to  carry  the 
sailors  into  strange  regions.  They  saw  a  small  bay 
on  the  coast,  and  after  holding  a  consultation,  decided 
to  make  an  effort  to  run  the  ship  into  it.  They  cut 
the  cables  that  held  the  anchors,  hoisted  the  fore- 
sail to  the  wind,  and  made  for  the  beach.  The  prow 
drove  into  the  mud  and  stuck  fast.  The  rear  portion 
of  the  ship  began  to  break  to  pieces  under  the  beat- 


228  Paul  the  Apostle 

ing  of  the  waves.  The  soldiers  advised  that  the 
prisoners  should  be  killed  to  prevent  their  escape, 
but  Julius  would  not  allow  such  brutal  conduct.  He 
had  many  reasons  for  wishing  to  save  Paul  and  no 
reason  to  murder  the  others  entrusted  to  his  care. 
Paul  was  now  the  unofficial  commander  both  of  the 
ship  and  of  the  soldiers,  and  all  listened  to  him. 
When  Julius  had  forbidden  the  soldiers  to  murder 
the  prisoners,  Paul  took  it  upon  himself  to  command 
all  who  could  swim  to  cast  themselves  into  the  sea 
and  make  for  the  shore.  They  obeyed  with  alacrity, 
and  were  soon  safe  on  land,  filled  with  joy  at  their 
great  deliverance.  Those  who  could  not  swim  availed 
themselves  of  planks  and  other  things  from  the  ship, 
to  aid  them  in  remaining  above  water  till  they  could 
be  washed  ashore  by  the  waves.  The  climax  of  the 
thrilling  account  is  given  in  these  words,  "And  it 
came  to  pass  that  they  all  escaped  safe  to  land." 
They  had  come  four  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles 
from  Clauda,  and  the  storm  had  been  upon  them  all  the 
way.  "VVe  have  no  means  to  estimate  the  distance  trav- 
el led  in  the  zigzag  voyage  through  the  storm. 

The  island  against  which  the  vessel  stranded  was 
Melita,  the  modern  Malta.  The  landing  of  so  many 
strange  people  on  the  shores  of  the  island  naturally 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  natives.  The  people 
of  the  island  were  of  Phoenician  origin,  but  many 
Greeks  were  scattered  among  them,  all  being  under 
the  dominion  of  Eome.  The  natives  showed  much 
kindness  to  the  unfortunate  men  from  the  ship.  They 
gathered  a  large  amount  of  wood  and  made  a  fire  to 
dry  the  clothes  and  warm  the  shivering  bodies  of 
the  strangers  who  had  struggled  through  the  chilling 


From  Caesarea  to  the  End  229 

waters  to  the  shore.  The  morning  was  cold  for  that 
climate  ;  and  though  the  fury  of  the  storm  had  some- 
what abated,  the  rain  was  still  falling,  Paul  was 
busy  with  the  others  in  gathering  brushwood  for 
the  fire.  He  gathered  au  armful  of  sticks,  and  after 
throwing  them  on  the  fire,  remained  for  a  short  time 
holding  his  hand  over  the  blaze.  As  he  thus  stood 
warming  his  hand,  a  deadly  serpent,  benumbed  by 
the  cold,  and  which  was  in  the  bundle  of  brush  that 
the  apostle  had  gathered  and  thrown  upon  the  fire, 
being  warmed  by  the  heat,  came  out  of  the  blaze  and 
fastened  its  poison  fangs  in  the  flesh  of  his  hand. 

The  islanders  could  see  that  Paul  was  a  prisoner, 
and  they  supposed  him  to  be  a  murderer  and  the  bite 
of  the  serpent  to  be  a  just  punishment  for  his  crime. 
Paul  shook  the  serpent  from  his  hand  and  it  fell  back 
into  the  flames  and  perished.  The  apostle  experi- 
enced no  inconvenience  from  the  bite.  The  islanders 
watched  him,  expecting  to  see  the  hand  swell,  and 
to  see  the  apostle  fall  dead  as  a  result  of  the  poison  ; 
but  when  they  saw  no  evil  effects,  they  changed  their 
minds  and  said  that  he  was  a  god.  This  was  the 
second  time  in  the  life  of  the  apostle  that  he  had 
been  regarded  by  heathen  people  as  a  superior  being. 
The  other  occasion  was  on  his  first  visit  to  Lystra. 

The  residence  of  the  governor  of  the  island  was 
near  the  place  where  the  ship  went  to  pieces.  The 
town  is  now  called  Alta  Vecchia,  and  the  indentation 
on  the  shore  where  the  ship  stranded  is  still  known 
as  St.  Paul's  Bay.  Julius,  the  centurion,  being  a 
person  of  considerable  prominence,  the  governor  in- 
vited him  and  the  prisoners  under  his  care  to  share 
the  hospitality  of  his  home.     He  did  this  as  a  matter 


230  Paul  the  Apostle 

of  official  courtesy,  and  was  rewarded  for  his  kiud- 
ness  in  a  way  of  which  he  had  not  even  dreamed. 
The  father  of  the  governor  was  very  ill  of  fever  and 
dysentery,  a  malady  common  in  the  island  at  that 
season  of  the  year.  If  Luke  tried  his  medical  skill 
for  the  relief  of  the  patient,  he  failed  to  make  a  cure  ; 
at  any  rate,  Paul's  miraculous  power  was  brought  to 
bear  on  the  case  and  the  man  was  healed.  This  won 
the  gratitude  of  the  governor.  The  entire  company 
remained  in  the  island  during  the  months  of  Novem- 
ber, December  and  January,  and  while  they  were 
there  the  afflicted  people  from  all  over  the  island 
came  to  Paul  and  obtained  relief  from  their  diseases. 
This  great  benevolence  exhibited  by  Paul  caused 
many  honours  to  be  heaped  upon  him  and  his  com- 
panions, and  when  they  departed,  about  the  first  of 
February,  the  natives  of  the  island  provided  them 
with  the  comforts  necessary  for  the  rest  of  the  journey. 

As  soon  as  the  sea  was  open  for  navigation  another 
corn  ship  from  Alexandria,  which  had  wintered  in 
the  island,  made  ready  to  sail  into  Italy.  This  ship 
was  known  by  its  figurehead  as  the  Castor  and  Follux, 
or  the  Twin  Brothers.  Julius,  anxious  to  reach  Eome 
as  early  as  possible  with  his  prisoners  and  to  be  re- 
lieved of  further  responsibility,  arranged  to  take  pas- 
sage on  this  vessel.  We  do  not  know  what  became 
of  the  crew  from  the  vessel  that  had  been  wrecked. 

The  first  port  reached  by  the  Castor  and  Pollux, 
after  leaving  the  Island  of  Melita,  where  they  had 
spent  three  months,  waiting  better  conditions  of 
weather,  was  Syracuse,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
Island  of  Sicily.  This  city  is  eighty  miles  from  Alta 
Vecchia,  and  was  probably  reached  in  one  day's  saiL 


From  C^esarea  to  the  End  231 

In  the  first  chapter  of  this  book  reference  was  made 
to  the  fact  that  Paul  made  no  allusion  to  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery  through  which  he  passed  in  his  jour- 
neys, and  now  we  have  a  conspicuous  example  of  it. 
During  the  first  day  out  from  Malta,  he  looked  for  the 
first  time  on  the  volcano  of  Etna  ;  he  had  never  be- 
fore beheld  such  a  sight.  It  was  then  active  and 
sending  forth  its  fiery  belches  from  the  interior  of  the 
earth,  and  yet  no  mention  is  made  ofit  either  by  Luke 
or  Paul. 

The  ship  was  detained  at  Syracuse  for  three  days 
on  account  of  contrary  wind  ;  then,  with  the  wind  un- 
favourable they  put  to  sea,  and,  by  hard  sailing, 
reached  Ehegium,  the  modern  Eeggio.  Here  they 
spent  a  day  waiting  for  the  wind  to  favour  them,  and 
when  the  south  wind  sprang  up,  they  made  good 
speed  through  the  straits  of  Messina,  with  mountains 
covered  with  snow  on  either  side  of  them.  The  wind 
was  not  only  from  the  south,  but  it  was  strong.  In 
one  day  the  ship  sailed  from  Ehegium  to  Puteoli,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  At  the 
latter  place  Paul  found  a  small  congregation  of  Chris- 
tians, and  remained  a  while  with  them.  He  had  not 
been  among  Christian  brethren,  except  the  few  who 
made  the  journey  with  him,  since  he  left  Sidon  about 
five  mouths  before.  He  longed  for  the  fellowship  of 
brethren.  Puteoli  was  probably  the  destination  of 
the  Twin  Brothers.  The  rest  of  the  journey  was  per- 
formed by  land. 

We  have  already  noticed  the  kindness  with  which 
the  centurion  treated  Paul.  The  storm,  and  the  apos- 
tle's conduct  during  those  trying  days,  the  shipwreck, 
and  the  months  spent  together  in  the  island  among 


232  Paul  the  Apostle 

the  barbarians,  had  served  to  heighten  the  esteem 
that  Julius  had  for  his  favourite  prisoner.  Julius 
was  in  haste  to  reach  Eome,  but  in  order  to  accommo- 
date Paul,  he  waited  seven  days  at  Puteoli  to  allow 
him  the  opportunity  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  his 
brethren  and  to  confirm  them  in  their  Christian  faith. 
We  admire  this  great-hearted  man  ;  heathen  though 
he  was,  he  knew  how  to  be  courteous. 

On  the  eighth  day  after  reaching  Puteoli,  Paul  be- 
gan his  laud  journey  to  Eome,  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles  distant.  The  first  recorded  stop  on  the  way 
was  at  Appii  Forum,  the  Market  of  Appius,  within 
forty  miles  of  the  city.  The  disciples  in  Eome  had 
heard  of  Paul's  coming,  and  a  reception  committee 
from  the  church  came  these  forty  miles  to  meet  him. 
They  doubtless  would  have  met  him  further  out  from 
the  city,  but  they  did  not  know  certainly  what  road 
to  take. 

Ten  miles  beyond  Appii  Forum,  at  a  place  called 
The  Three  Taverns,  another  party  of  Christians  met 
him  ;  and  when  the  apostle  saw  their  love  for  him  as 
expressed  in  their  coming  to  meet  him  so  far  out 
on  the  road,  he  thanked  God  and  took  courage.  These 
brethren  from  Eome  had  read,  or  heard  read,  the 
greatest  of  all  Paul's  epistles.  They  had  learned  to 
love  him  through  his  writings,  and  were  filled  with 
joy  at  meeting  him  face  to  face.  They  continued  with 
Paul,  Luke,  Aristarchus,  and  Julius,  the  centurion, 
till  they  all  arrived  in  Eome.  Here  the  long  and 
pleasant  companionship  of  the  soldier  of  the  empire 
and  the  soldier  of  the  cross  terminated.  Julius  turned 
the  prisoners  over  to  the  proper  authorities,  and  his 
journey  of  more  than  five  mouths  was  complete. 


From  Caesarea  to  the  End  233 

They  arrived  in  Eome  in  March,  A.  d.,  61.  We 
should  be  glad  to  know  what  effect,  if  any,  the  long 
term  of  association  with  Paul  had  on  Julius,  whether 
he  became  a  Christian  or  died  a  pagan  ;  but  here, 
again,  the  veil  is  drawn  and  we  cannot  part  its  folds. 

Although  Paul  was  a  prisoner,  he  was  allowed  more 
liberty  than  prisoners  usually  enjoy.  There  were  two 
reasons  for  this :  first,  there  was  no  charge  against 
hiui  in  the  letter  that  Festus  sent  along  with  the  legal 
forms  of  appeal ;  and,  secondly,  Julius  had  doubtless 
told  the  authorities  in  Eome  of  the  good  conduct  of 
the  prisoner  during  the  long  voyage  from  Csesarea. 
Instead  of  being  incarcerated  in  the  common  prison, 
the  apostle  was  permitted  to  rent  a  house  for  himself, 
and  to  receive  all  friends  who  desired  to  visit  him. 
The  rental  for  the  house  was  probably  supplied  by 
his  friends  in  the  different  cities  in  which  he  had 
preached  the  Gospel  and  established  churches. 

In  his  epistles  written  during  this  imprisonment, 
Paul  often  refers  to  the  assistance  that  different  friends 
had  given  him.  He  was  doomed  to  wait  long  before 
being  called  to  trial.  The  case  could  not  be  tried  till 
his  accusers  arrived  from  Judea,  and  that  would  make 
a  delay  of  several  months  necessary.  We  have  seen 
that  he  reached  Eome  in  the  spring  of  61,  and  we 
know  that  his  accusers  did  not  come  along  with  him  ; 
and,  as  the  navigation  of  the  sea  for  the  winter  closed 
soon  after  Paul  set  out  from  Csesarea,  they  could  not 
have  left  Palestine  till  the  following  spring ;  and,  if 
they  started  as  soon  as  the  sea  was  open  for  travel, 
they  began  their  journey  about  the  time  that  Paul 
arrived  in  Eome.  They  could  not  have  reached  Eome 
until  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  or  the  early  fail 


234  P2iu\  the  Apostle 

of  61,  if  everything  favoured  them  ;  and,  in  those  days 
of  slow  movement  and  deliberate  action,  much  more 
than  the  necessary  time  was  probably  consumed. 

For  some  reason  it  was  more  than  two  years  before 
the  apostle  was  called  to  trial.  Daring  this  time  he 
was  in  military  custody,  having  a  Eoman  soldier 
chained  to  him  all  the  time,  but  was  freely  permitted 
to  preach  to  all  who  came  to  hear  him.  The  soldiers 
who  guarded  him  by  turns  heard  the  Gospel  from  him. 
He  took  delight  in  telling  the  story  of  Christ  to  each 
one.  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippiaus,  written  during 
his  imprisonment,  the  apostle  writes,  "  My  bonds  are 
manifest  in  Christ  throughout  the  whole  praetorian 
guard,  and  to  all  the  rest"  (Phil.  i.  13).  The  guard 
mentioned  was  a  band  of  Eoman  soldiers  bivouacked 
outside  of  the  walls  of  the  city,  whose  function  it  was 
to  protect  the  life  of  the  emperor  and  guard  the  pris- 
oners who  were  being  held  for  trial  before  the  court 
of  Nero.  As  these  soldiers  sat  around  the  camp-fire 
when  off  duty  they  would  naturally  speak  of  the 
strange  and  interesting  prisoner,  and  the  new  and 
wonderful  story  that  he  told  them  of  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth. Thus,  in  a  short  time,  the  gospel  story  be- 
came known  to  all  the  soldiers  in  the  camp. 

Many  friends  from  a  distance  visited  Paul  during 
his  period  of  imprisonment,  and  some  epistles  were 
written  to  churches  and  individual  brethren  remote 
from  Eome.  At  least  four  letters  were  written  from 
Eome  while  the  apostle  was  a  prisoner — Ephesians, 
Philippians,  Colossians,  and  Philemon.  The  author- 
ship of  Hebrews  is  uncertain  and  will  not  be  dis- 
cussed here.  The  first  three  of  these  epistles  were 
written  to  churches,  and  the  other  is  a  letter  to  a  per- 


From  Csesarea  to  the  End  235 

sonal  friend.  We  learn  from  Paul's  writings  that 
Tycliicus  was  the  bearer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephe- 
siaus,  and  also  -the  one  to  the  Colossians,  and  that 
Onesimus  bore  the  Epistle  to  Philemon.  "We  learn 
further  that  these  messengers  travelled  together. 
That  Onesimus  carried  the  Epistle  to  Philemon  is 
seen  in  verses  8-12  of  that  document ;  that  Tychicus 
bore  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  is  seen  in  Ephesians 
vi.  21,  22,  and  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Colossians  also  is  confirmed  by  Colossians 
iv.  7,  8.  And  Colossians  iv.  8,  9  shows  that  Tychicus 
and  Onesimus  travelled  together.  These  three  were 
the  earliest  of  his  epistles  written  from  Rome.  In 
both  Ephesians  and  Colossians  he  makes  request  that 
his  brethren  pray  for  him  that  he  might  have  boldness 
to  preach  the  Gospel  in  its  fullness. 

During  his  imprisonment,  the  apostle  had  been  in- 
strumental in  converting  a  Greek  slave  to  Christ. 
The  name  of  this  slave  was  Onesimus.  He  was 
owned  by  Philemon,  but  had  run  away  from  his 
master  and  found  his  way  to  Eome.  Philemon  was  a 
friend  and  a  convert  of  Paul's,  and  resided  at  Co- 
lossje.  This  slave  had  been  worthless  to  his  master. 
It  is  implied  in  the  epistle  that  the  slave  had 
wronged  his  master  in  some  way.  Some  think  that 
he  had  robbed  him,  and  then  escaped.  He  had 
robbed  him  of  the  service  due  him  as  his  master,  if 
nothing  worse.  He  was  brought  to  Christ  by  Paul  and 
sent  back  to  Philemon,  bearing  a  letter  from  the 
apostle.  In  this  brief  epistle  Paul  hints  strongly  at 
the  propriety  of  Philemon's  emancipating  Onesimus 
on  his  arrival  home.  Whether  or  not  Philemon 
acted  in  harmony  with  the  suggestion  is  left  unre- 


236  Paul  the  Apostle 

vealed.  Paul  was  generous  enough  to  say  to  Phile- 
mon that,  if  the  latter  had  lost  anything  by  the  con- 
duct of  Onesimus,  he  himself  would  repay  it. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Philippians  was  written  later 
than  the  others.  In  this  epistle  we  learn  that  Paul 
looked  forward  to  his  trial  in  the  near  future,  and 
that  he  expected  to  be  acquitted,  and  be  a  free  man 
once  more.  We  learn  also  that  his  confinement  had 
given  him  the  opportunity  to  evangelize  the  whole 
praetorian  guard  in  whose  custody  he  was,  and  that 
there  were  saints  in  Caesar's  household.  The  royal 
palace  had  been  invaded  in  the  interest  of  the  King 
of  kings  ;  and,  when  we  bear  in  mind  that  the 
Csesar  then  on  the  imperial  throne  was  the  merciless 
Nero,  the  statement  that  there  were  saints  in  his 
household  is  astounding.  He  could  throw  Christians 
to  the  lions  and  send  apostles  to  the  execution  block  ; 
he  could  saturate  the  clothing  of  both  men  and 
women  with  oil  and  set  them  on  fire,  that,  in  their 
anguish,  they  might  run  blazing  through  the  streets 
and  serve  to  illuminate  the  city,  but  he  could  not 
prevent  the  Gospel  from  finding  its  way  into  his  own 
palace  and  making  converts  in  his  own  household ! 
(Phil.  iv.  22). 

Paul  was  not  alone  though  a  prisoner  in  chains. 
Some  of  his  best  earthly  friends  were  with  him,  at 
least  a  portion  of  the  time  of  his  confinement.  He 
speaks  of  Aristarchus  and  Epaphras  as  his  fellow - 
prisoners  (Col.  i.  4  ;  Philem.  23).  It  may  have  been 
that  Aristarchus  was  arrested  in  Judea  about  the 
time  that  Paul  was  sent  to  Eome.  "We  know  that  he 
made  the  journey  to  the  imperial  capital  in  company 
with  the  apostle,  although  it  is  not  intimated  by  Luke 


From  Cssarea  to  the  End  237 

that  he  was  a  prisoner.  We  know  nothing  of  the 
arrest  of  Epaphras,  nor  the  charge  brought  against 
him.  Mark,  who  was  once  rejected  by  Paul  as  an 
unfit  companion,  had  been  fully  restored  to  his  con- 
fidence and  esteem,  and  was  with  him  in  his  trouble 
(Col.  iv.  10).  Demas  was  still  faithful  to  him, 
though  we  read  the  humiliating  statement  that  he 
deserted  him  later  and  went  to  Thessalonica  (Col. 
iv.  14 ;  2  Tim.  iv.  10).  Luke,  who  had  come  all  the 
way  from  Csesarea  with  him  and  Aristarchus,  was 
still  with  him  in  close  brotherly  companionship. 

The  New  Testament  tells  us  nothing  about  the  re- 
sult of  Paul's  appeal  to  Csesar,  but  we  have  reason 
to  believe  that  he  was  acquitted,   and  that  he  did 
much  valuable  work  in  the  Gospel  after  his  release. 
This  reason  appears  in  the  journeys  mentioned  in  the 
epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus.     He  left  Timothy  at 
Ephesus  to  oppose  the  false  teachers  who  were  troub 
ling  the  church  there,  and  went  into  Macedonia  him 
self  (1  Tim.  i.  3).     This  is  not  mentioned  in  Acts, 
He  left  Titus  in  Crete  to  instruct  the  new  converts, 
and  to  appoint  elders  in  all  the  churches  (Tit.  i.  5) 
Acts  tells  us  nothing  about  Paul's  ministry  in  Crete 
He  made  a  visit  to  Miletus  where  he  left  Trophimua 
sick  (2  Tim.  iv.  20).     This  item  is  unrecorded  in 
Acts.     He  made  a  journey  towards  Nicopolis,  and 
expected  to  spend  the  winter  there  (Tit.  iii.  12), 
This  is  not  mentioned  in  Acts.     The  entire  term  of 
his  Eoman  imprisonment  is  unknown.     At  the  close 
of  the  record  in  Acts,  Paul  had  been  a  prisoner  two 
full  years,  and  was  still  waiting  for  trial.     We  have 
seen  that  he  arrived  in  Eome  in  the  spring  of  61,  and 
he  could  not  have  been  set  at  liberty  before  the 


238  Paul  the  Apostle 

spiiug  of  63.  The  last  statement  in  the  Book  of  Acts 
is  that  Paul  lived  two  whole  years  in  his  own  rented 
house,  and  that  he  preached  the  kingdom  of  God  to 
all  who  came  to  him,  no  man  forbidding  him. 

From  passages  in  his  epistles  written  later  than  the 
year  63,  and  which  we  have  noted  in  the  preceding 
paragraph,  it  is  almost  absolutely  certain  that  the 
apostle  stood  before  Nero  and  stated  his  case  so  clearly 
and  forcibly  that  the  young  emperor,  tyrant  though 
he  was,  gave  him  his  liberty.  In  describing  the 
meeting  between  Paul  and  Agrippa,  we  said  that  that 
was  probably  the  only  time  in  life  the  apostle  ever 
stood  before  a  king.  Yet  it  is  reasonably  certain 
that  he  stood  before  Nero.  In  doing  this  he  stood 
before  an  emperor  and  not  a  king.  The  emperor  was 
a  king  of  kings,  and  many  crowned  heads  bowed  in 
submission  to  his  will. 

By  means  of  some  of  Paul's  epistles  we  can  trace 
out  some  of  his  movements  after  his  release.  During 
his  prison  life  he  cherished  the  hope  that  he  would 
be  released  (Philem.  22 ;  Phil.  i.  25).  After  his  ac- 
quittal he  went  into  Macedonia,  and  from  there  wrote 
to  Timothy  at  Ephesus  that  he  expected  to  visit 
him  shortly  (1  Tim.  ii.  14,  15),  From  Ephesus  he 
probably  visited  Philemon  at  Colossse,  and  realized 
the  hope  expressed  in  the  letter  sent  to  him  by  the 
hand  of  Onesimus  the  slave  (Philem.  22).  We  know 
that  he  was  at  Miletus  (2  Tim.  iv.  20)  ;  and  it  is  very 
probable  that  he  sailed  from  this  point  to  Crete,  in 
company  with  Titus,  whom  he  left  in  the  island  to 
perfect  the  organization  of  the  churches  there  (Tit. 
i.  5).  The  Epistle  to  Titus  seems  to  have  been  writ-. 
ten  while  the  apostle  was  on  his  way  to  Nicopolis, 


From  Csesarea  to  the  End  239 

where  he  expected  to  spend  the  winter  (Tit.  iii.  12). 
The  most  probable  supposition  is  that  it  was  written 
from  Corinth  in  the  year  65.  By  reference  to  the  map 
it  can  be  seen  that  what  is  known  of  the  geography  of 
the  journey  tends  to  add  strength  to  this  supposition. 

We  know  that  the  apostle  had,  long  before  this, 
planned  a  tour  to  the  southwestern  peninsula  of 
Europe.  When  he  was  about  ready  to  leave  Corinth, 
with  contributions  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  saints  in 
Jerusalem,  he  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Eomans,  in 
which  we  have  a  statement  from  him  that  he  expected 
to  go  into  Spain  with  the  Gospel,  and  that  his  plan 
was  to  visit  Eome  on  the  way  (Eom.  xv.  24,  28). 
Whether  he  made  this  journey  or  not  is  another  ques- 
tion that  has  no  Scriptural  answer.  It  is  a  matter 
of  tradition,  however,  that  he  did  go  to  Spain.  One 
thing  is  certain :  if  he  ever  made  the  journey  as  he 
had  it  planned,  he  did  so  after  the  first  imprisonment 
in  Eome.  There  is  no  record  of  such  a  journey  in 
the  New  Testament.  Had  he  made  the  journey  be- 
fore the  imprisonment,  it  would  have  been  a  matter 
of  record.  As  the  Book  of  Acts  closes  with  Paul  in 
prison,  awaiting  his  first  trial,  there  is  no  place  in 
that  Book  for  the  record  of  any  of  the  events  that 
occurred  after  his  trial  and  release. 

When,  where,  and  upon  what  ground  the  apostle 
was  arrested  the  second  time  we  have  no  informa- 
tion. Many  are  of  the  opinion  that  his  second  arrest 
occurred  at  Nicopolis  some  time  during  the  year  65, 
and  this  is  probably  correct.  We  are  certain,  how- 
ever, that  he  once  more  experienced  the  horrors  of  im- 
prisonment in  Eome,  and  that  during  his  last  period 
of  confinement  in  that  city  he  wrote  his  last  -epistle. 


240  Paul  the  Apostle 

This  was  his  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy  ;  and  in  it 
we  read  his  last  message  to  one  of  his  dearest  and 
best  friends.  The  feeling  that  had  once  haunted  him 
that  he  might  be  rejected  after  having  spent  his  life 
in  preaching  to  others  had  long  since  vanished  (1  Cor. 
ix.  27).  His  faith  had  risen  to  the  sublimest  height 
to  which  faith  can  rise.  As  he  realized  that  death 
was  near,  he  expressed  his  feelings  in  these  words  so 
full  of  faith  and  resignation  :  ''I  am  already  being 
offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  come.  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  the  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up 
for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  Judge,  shall  give  to  me  at  that  day  ;  and 
not  to  me  only,  but  also  to  all  them  that  have  loved 
his  appearing  "  (2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8).  In  these  words  he 
describes  his  present  condition,  reviews  his  past,  and 
takes  a  sweeping  survey  of  the  future.  This  is  as  far 
as  we  can  follow  him  in  the  light  of  history.  The 
early  tradition  of  the  Church  is  that  he  was  put  to ' 
death  by  the  order  of  Nero.  That  he  fully  expected 
death  we  know  ;  and,  as  the  time  of  his  departure 
had  come  when  he  wrote  his  last  message  to  Timothy, 
we  can  readily  accept  the  tradition.  We  are  reason- 
ably certain  that  soon  after  writing  the  words  of  the 
last  quotation  he  was  led  out  to  death.  Although 
we  cannot  follow  him  to  the  place  of  execution  and 
witness  his  last  agonies  and  death,  we  can  heed  his 
exhortation  to  follow  him  as  he  followed  Christ ;  and 
by  doing  this,  we  are  assured  that  we  can  follow  him 
through  the  Gates  into  the  City. 

Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


Princeton 


TM.l0T«iSemi«,,af 


!J'"7ST2  01252  2365 


Date  Due                         i 

R  r 

^^  ''    4B 

FACULi 

y 

»mm>^^>s^^ 

ir- 

B}-  ^*«--^ 

**.^ 

• 

9ej...*HSf 

- 

W"^^^ 

MWMtr^' 

« 

;' 

• 

•  )c 

/y:            >    '    1 

^ 

IRv 


